Damon's POV

I felt like I was in a daze, everything fuzzy around me as Enzo dragged me back to my seat. Once we were passed where Elena could see us he pushed me against the wall, his hand holding me by my jumpsuit. He was furious.

"What were you thinking Salvatore? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to be messing with her now? We need to focus on the mission. We need to put that bastard wanting to assassinate those leaders out before he causes major damage. That is what you need to be focusing on Damon! We are hours from you testifying. With their governments help and your testimony and Maxfield's tech knowledge we can crack this case wide open and finally get the guys identity. But it will take all of us and you thinking with the right head!"

I just stayed silent letting my buddy rant. I knew he was right and he had as much to lose in this as I did. If things went according to plan and my brother got the help of the Bulgarian government we could rid them of a dangerous terrorist. I prayed Stefan had gotten immunity for me in exchange for my testimony. We still didn't know the man's identity but the agency was sure that if the Bulgarian government would hear us out and combine our resources we could figure it out. We had the evidence of the plane crashes in the States, plus all the documentation that was passed back and forth and phone conversations all to crash the plane in Bulgaria. They just didn't know that there had been an even bigger target we were supposed to hit.

"I know Enzo!" I hissed back at him, looking back and forth but no one was coming and we were still too far away for anyone to see us from coach where all the other prisoner were being held. "I can't help it. I love her," I blurted out. I did. I knew I did.

"You what? Are you crazy?" Enzo's eyes were wide as he shook me still trapped against the wall.

"Maybe I am crazy Enz'. Crazy in love," I chuckled giving my long time friend a teasing grin. "I'm serious. I didn't plan this, it just happened and I have no idea if she feels the same way. I hadn't let anyone get that close since...well you know," I paused not even wanting to go there in my mind now. It was still too painful.

Enzo nodded. "Yeah I do know and we both know how that ended buddy. You don't want anything to happen to her too do you?"

I glared at him giving him a shove back. "Of course not! How dare you, I did everything..." I trailed off again shutting my eyes refusing to let it in again. "I'm worried about her here. That asshole Matt is dangerous and has his damn sights on her. Half the guys on the plane let alone the prison would love to have her any way they damn well wanted. I can't let that happen. I just can't. I love her and I need to protect her."

"Well you sure picked a hell of a time to fall in love D. This is nuts enough as it is. How the hell do you expect to save her when you are chained up like a dog yourself?"

I sighed, relaxing slightly on my hold on him "I don't know. All I know is I can't let anything happen to her. She will not end up like her. I would die first."

"Well lets not talk about dying till we can finish the mission and get those assholes in prison before they use their tech for more global type terrorism. You know as well as I do that what you did was just a demonstration of his power. Nothing near as dangerous as the main event." He loosened his grip on my shoulders too and straightened out the wrinkles in my jumpsuit. "Just stay out of la la land long enough to do your job and then go ahead and quit with the agency or get married or whatever you want."

I smirked at him. "Well then I wouldn't be the only one then would I? You'd like that wouldn't you?"

Enzo smiled at that and I saw him pull out the gold band hanging on the chain from behind his uniform.

"You still carry that around everywhere huh? Every mission."

"Yep, everywhere." He spun it around in between his fingers, a lazy grin on his face.

I laughed at him. "Now who is in la la land?" My buddy made a face at me. "How is she anyway? You guys are getting close right?"

Enzo smiled again. "Yep, only a couple more weeks. Bon is so excited and can't wait to have me home after we wrap this up. She is mad that she's painting the nursery by herself. I heard her big long emotional rant on the phone last time I called and she told me that she didn't care if I didn't like the color since I didn't help. At least I set up the crib before we left and I think her mom came to help get the rest of nursery all ready."

"I can imagine she'd be pissed to do things without you. It is your first after all. She wants you there. She is a fiery one your wife when she doesn't get her way," I nodded to him. I envied my friend, that he could do this job and still be happily married and now even have a child on the way. I wanted that. And now I realized I wanted all that with Elena.

Enzo glanced around. "No more chit chat. We don't want to blow our covers. Just sit back down and stay out of trouble. Can you do that for me D? Please? I know how much you love trouble. But I'm tired and I am going to be a dad soon and I just want things to go smoothly here. No more surprises."

I nodded at him giving him by best puppy eyes that I would be good. "Sure Enz'. No more surprises. I swear." I dreaded going back there having to sit with those monsters. But it was part of the job just for a little while longer. Enzo just rolled his eyes at me knowing me far too well and how much trouble just loved to find me. He pushed me along in front of him past the curtain and right into view of all the other prisoners on the flight.

I kept my head down, my eyes avoiding any other people as we made our way to my seat. I sunk down and just leaned back closing my eyes. I could see her behind my eyelids. She was radiantly beautiful. I could still feel how her skin felt as I ran my hand up her thigh. I could feel her pressed in so close to me and I had struggled so much to control my body's reactions to her core being pressed against me but I wanted more...so damn badly.

We almost kissed! I felt her wanting it as much as I did. I wanted to feel her lips on mine, and wanted to know what she tasted like, how her tongue felt against mine. I wanted to touch more of her amazing body, caress her cheek, cup her breasts and feel their softness, and bury myself deep inside her as I swallowed her moan of pleasure with in my mouth as we kissed.

My eyes flew open. Oh shit Enzo was right. How the hell could I keep my head on the mission and what I needed to say to the Bulgarian government if I was fantasizing about her?

My Elena. She wanted me too, I was sure of it. The way she was so tender in taking care of my wounds, ran her hand over my face before she stitched me up, tucked my hair behind my ear. Mmm I missed her already.

I could hardly believe she helped me get undressed. That was the most erotic thing I think I had ever experienced. The tension and heat I felt as she unbuttoned my pants and slid them down my hips, or pulled by shirt up off my chest. Oh fuck, I wanted to just crush her to me in that moment and kiss her senseless. There were SO many times I wanted to just moan her name as the tension was so thick between us.

She was perfect and I cursed the timing of meeting her like this. But I knew I had to keep her safe. Maybe I could talk to Stefan once we landed somehow and get him to put her in some kind of protection till the mission was over. The longer she kept working at Maxwell Heights I was so scared something would happen to her. Nothing about her job was safe, no matter how much she wanted to help people and be a part of the solution.

I had overheard what some of the inmates had wanted to do to her if they could ever get her alone, and wouldn't get caught and some didn't even care if they would get caught. I pushed those thoughts away quickly thankful that the creeps were all restrained and could not ever get to her like that. One of the guys told me that the previous prison doctor had quit after the riot a few years back. She had been caught along with several guards and they had made it out alive but I don't even want to think what they lived through. If I dwelt too much on the horrors of that place I would not be on the ball for the mission. That had to come first.

'Elena', I whispered in my head. I missed her already. My feelings had been growing stronger each time we met this whole month. I settled myself back more in my seat and just thought back to more times we talked and shared in that little exam room.

"Hey, Damon," I heard her soft sweet voice as I opened my eyes. I could see her beside me. It was nearly dark outside and there was only one small light on in the hallway past the room I was in. I tried to sit up and I felt her hand on my chest pushing me back down.

"You need to rest," I heard her say as I struggled to keep my eyes open. I felt dizzy. My stomach was spinning like a carnival ride on steroids. Elena bent down closer to me and I felt her move a strand of my hair from my cheek. The warmth of her fingers on my skin felt so good.

"What happened?" I asked turning my head more to her. There was no one else there. It must be late. I remembered eating supper, and then feeling faint, sick, but that was all I remembered.

"You were poisoned," she said simply but her face showed the worry she must have felt for me. She looked stressed, tired, overwhelmed.

My eyes widened. Someone had tried to kill me? I knew Spike was supposed to be keeping watch and being my cellmate he was extremely vigilant and never let anyone too close to me. But poisoned? "How?" I whispered sitting up more and this time she let me.

"We think it was rat poison in your food. The meatloaf. The guard saw you struggling to breath and holding your throat and from what I understood he literally carried you here by himself. He seemed really concerned for you," Elena commented.

Enzo. He had my back I was sure of it. Thank God. No one else would have done that.

"You are okay Damon, we administered the charcoal lavage in time." Her voice cracked a bit as she spoke and I found myself reaching for her hand and squeezed it in mine.

"Hey, you said I'm okay right?" I said softly. She nodded at me and I felt her hand still holding mine, she hadn't pulled it away.

"Yeah, you are okay. No long term side effects or any more danger. But if it had even been a few more minutes you would have started convulsing and it could have been so much worse. You could have died!"

I squeezed her hand again feeling like I was trying to sooth her when I was the one that had been hurt. She was a doctor obviously, but there seemed to be more in her eyes, more caring that just for me as a patient. She looked torn up at what was happening to me.

She leaned closer and put her head down on top of our hands. She stayed there a moment and I just swallowed hard wishing I knew what she was thinking.

She lifted her head and took in a deep breath. "You have barely been here a few days Damon. How are you going to survive years?" she asked me, her eyes solemn. "I wish you weren't here. I wished I wasn't here." I heard her whisper and then stood up pulling her hand from mine and turned around, her hand at her mouth.

I was desperate to comfort her. She barely knew me and yet she worried about me? Well maybe she cared about all her patients. Maybe she hated working here. Hated what she witnessed here.

"Why 'are' you here Elena?" I asked her gently, my eyes seeking hers but she was still turned away from me.

"I don't know some days," she answered me quickly still staying with her back to me. "I wanted to help and be a part of the solution. I wanted to be a light for people and so they would turn away from hurting others, causing people more pain. So what I went through didn't happen to other people."

My mind was racing at that. What had she been through? She had been hurt by criminals, she had been wronged? I wanted to fix it, fix anything that was hurting her. And right now she looked like my being hurt was making it worse.

She finally turned back around and I saw her eyes glassy with unshed tears. She sat back down beside me. "But then I see you hurt twice in the same week, knowing someone tried to kill you and I just wonder if anything I am doing is making any difference."

She looked at my face and I could see she was staring at my black eye, my testament to the truth in her statement. I had been being hurt in here, but I'm sure others had been too. What was I any different?

I tried to smile and was sitting up more facing her. "Elena, I'll make you deal. When I get out of here...alive," I emphasized. "I'll take you to dinner."

I looked hopefully back up in her brown eyes only to see a warning stare that she was not comfortable with me crossing this line.

"Lunch?" I tried again smiling slightly and she rolled her eyes at me. "Cup of coffee?" I cocked my eyebrows at her in a way I knew woman liked and actually pouted at her as inappropriate as it was. I was just trying to get a smile from her.

"Damon," she breathed out and I could tell this wasn't working, at least not right now. I needed to diffuse the tension between us.

"Why are you here so late anyway?" I blurted out, changing the subject. "You didn't have to wait with me. I'm sure one of the guards could have handled it."

"I wanted to be here," she said simply studying me. "I wanted to make sure you were okay." My eyes were locked on hers and my hand longed to hold hers again. She pulled her gaze from mine again breaking our connection.

"Besides, its just me and Ian at home, so I was fine staying late."

Ian.

My heart just slipped from my chest and slid to the floor. She had someone. Of course she did. Why would someone as amazing as her be single? I struggled to hide my disappointment but it looked I wasn't as covert as I had hoped.

"Ian is my cat," she corrected my thoughts like she could tell how devastated I was at the thought that she had a man of her own. How could she read me so well?

"Your cat?" I repeated, feeling much better. She wasn't mine but as far as I knew already she wasn't someone elses either.

"Mmm hmm, my cat. I sometimes call him Smolder. He is such a sweetheart and all black with the brightest blue eyes and such soft fur."

I chuckled slightly but cringed at it hurting my healing stomach. "Smolder? Okay now I need to know more."

She smiled finally, which was all I had set out to do after she had shared so deeply and was feeling so sad. "I know its stupid, but I named him after the actor from that vampire tv show. He is so hot and such a bad boy just like Smolder is."

I tried to suppress another laugh. "Vampires, you? I would never have guessed."

She made a face at me that was utterly adorable. "Yes vampires. It's my guilty pleasure. So sue me! He gets into trouble at home constantly but still has the sweetest eyes and just rubs his nose and body on me. His purring just makes everything better, even if he had smashed my favorite vase while I was away. He just knows how to cheer me up from the hell that this job makes me feel."

Wow deep, I thought. If I ever wanted to be an animal in this world it would be that cat. Ian had it good. He likely got to sleep with her and rub himself on her, and cuddle and, oh god I wanted to be a freaking cat! I was wondering if she had given me any kind of pain meds that were making me loopy.

"I'm glad you have that," I said in complete sincerity. I wanted to say more, talk more, hear her share more of her life.

"We have each other. I rescued him from the alley back behind my house when he was just a kitten and the neighbor boys were being mean to him. I could hear him meowing loudly from my back deck. I took him in and fed and nursed him back to health. Ian was starving and injured and he needed me too." She suddenly stood up and walked back to the door.

"You should get some rest Damon. I can keep you here overnight but I have to send you back after that. I'm sorry."

"Can I still be here when you get back? I said quickly and I saw her smile and nod to me before turning and stepping out the door closing it behind me. I just lay back and sighed.

I had known this woman barely a few days and she was kind, and caring, rescuing a sick animal, caring for me and saving my life likely. She was amazing and longed to know more about her. But right now I needed to sleep and so I closed my eyes and let my dreams take me away into her arms, into her life where I meant as much to her and she did to me….

I was startled out of my sleep by hushed whispering. "Hey Salvatore!" a voice called me. I kept my eyes closed just wanting to ignore it. "Did you have fun with the doc?" At that my eyes flew open and I glared daggers in the direction of the voice. What the hell?

My eyes focused toward the sound to see Kai smiling at me and licking his lips. His shaved head made him look tougher than he probably was, his eyes sparkling with teasing. Parker was one of the worst in here. He was fucking insane, mentally not there and he scared the shit out of me the way he talked about women and her. My Elena.

"What the fuck Parker. Leave me alone! And stay away from her!" I hissed at him hoping that was in the end of it. For the most part the guy was all talk but the rumours of what he had done to the previous lady doctor during the riot made my skin crawl.

"You did have fun," the creep grinned at me, his eyes twinkling with curiosity. "What happened Pretty? Does she like it rough? I'm a huge fan of that. Bruises are like badges of honor on my women. They look so hot. Bite marks too. Their blood dripping down their naked body as you fuck em is like the best high."

I was fuming by this point and if I wasn't chained to the damn floor I would have leapt up over the seats at him behind me and strangled the life out of him. I looked around and their were no guards near enough to hear him. I could yell for one but what would that get me? They wouldn't do anything just for Kai talking to me like this. I sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm down when my heart was pounding in my throat at the horrific pictures the bastard was painting for me of what he wanted to do to my baby.

I glared at him again. "Shut the fuck up! If you ever even think of going near her like that I will rip your heart out of your chest and feed it to you!" I spit at him. I hated, absolutely hated when he called me Pretty. It made my stomach turn knowing he wanted me possibly just as much as her.

"You love her don't you Pretty?" There is was again. Fuck. "Oh I have thought long and hard about it. Something is so fucking hard right now just thinking about it. Do you want to satisfy me or should I see how wide the doc can open her mouth?

My mouth fell open as I shook my head praying I had heard him wrong. He was sick, the worst kinds of sick.

He smirked at me and I could see between the seats as he stroked himself on top of the suit. I wanted to puke. "Are you offering Pretty?"

I slammed my mouth closed seeing what he meant by my reaction, my eyes full of rage, my pulse skyrocketing in my veins.

"What can you even do chained up like that? You can't stop me. I think its time I visited Dr. Delicious don't you?"

I struggled against my chains, nearly growling out loud while Kai just grinned at me. A guard did finally turn my way at the noise I was making. But of course he didn't hear anything Kai had said to me.

"Shut up Salvatore. People are trying to sleep!" he snapped at me. It was Cade and I didn't dare want to piss him off. I couldn't see Enzo anywhere. Where had he gone?

Parker motioned to a guard and I recognized the blonde blue eyed man Julian step up behind him and him whisper something to him. Julian was another sick guard here. He had 3 failed marriages and now just took woman home from the bar I was told by other inmates. He had restraining orders filed against him from all three of his ex's and had cases of domestic violence that had never been proven. So he had walked.

I didn't know if this happened in all the prisons but it seemed like Donovan's ass of a dad hired the scariest and dangerous sons of bitches, thinking maybe that that was what it took to keep inmates in line. Most of these guys were skating on the edge of doing time themselves and yet found employment here. I vowed to myself that when I got out of this I was going to find a way to make things right here for the prisoners no matter how much time or money it took.

My eyes were wide as I saw Julian smile and then look at me and then back down to Kai. My eyes darted around. Cade was the only guard here now with Julian. The rest might be taking breaks or sleeping. There wasn't much to do keeping an eye on all of us shackled down in the middle of the night but I needed my buddy like never before, right now!

I saw Cade nod to Julian while pulling Kol up from his seat. "Salvatore, your next!" he eyed me as he walked by. The only way we were getting bathroom breaks I was told was whenever they decided to spread them out on the 12 hour flight. Kol was walked down to the back of the plane to the restrooms, leaving the rest of us with Julian alone.

Almost everyone else was sleeping. It was probably not even 4 in the morning yet. I was damn curious what Kai and Julian had been whispering about and I saw a glint of something metal. Kai caught my gaze again as my eyes widened. What the hell was he doing?

"Looky, Looky Pretty," Kai sneered at me holding up a pocket knife in the palm of his hand hidden still. I watched in shock as he dragged the blade across his arm almost under his cuff like a suicide attempt and made several cuts along his wrist. It was deep but not deep enough to hit an artery I guessed by the lack of blood spraying. I would have loved to watch the bastard bleed out right here in front of me.

"I've got a ticket to go see your lady..." he whispered at me, making my blood run cold. I nearly choked knowing what he was going to do. Oh fuck no! Julian must have given him the knife and let him do that to himself! I saw Brady seated to my right a few seats turn and listen more to our conversation. He had the biggest grin on his face too knowing what Kai was doing.

"She must be so lonely all the way up there by herself. Did you warm her up for me? How wet is she? I can't wait to feel her soft skin." Kai whispered so quietly just to me. Brady laughed and must have heard it too and I was halfway ready to flip out of my seat I was losing my mind at his threats.

Julian just stood there and started unlocking Kai's ankle cuffs from the floor panel and pulled him up from his seat. "C'mon Parker. You need to get that looked at. Its looks nasty."

"NO!" I screamed, not giving a flying fuck who I woke up. Damn it where was Enzo when I needed him?! "Julian, he wants to hurt her. Don't. Please don't let him," I begged.

Julian merely laughed at me and shrugged. "That is enough Salvatore. You had your time with the doc. Parker here needs medical attention.

"But you gave him the knife!" I yelled back trying to stand up only to have him shove me back down.

"I did not! I would never give a prisoner any kind of weapon," Julian shot back at me a look of fake shock on his face. He was as bad as Kai, the bastard. He looked around at the other prisoners most of whom at woken up at the sound of my panic. "Did anyone see me give Mr. Parker a knife?" No one nodded their head.

I saw a smirk on Brady's face but he wasn't going to say anything of course. It was my word against his. Julian even searched him once he stood up to look like he was looking for the knife. Then where was it? I thought. I looked around before seeing it just laying on the seat beside me tucked right in the corner of it. It was too far out of reach and I doubted I could pick the lock. Kai caught my eye as I looked back up at him. "Come and get me Pretty," he dared me and I knew he had left the knife for me on purpose.

Just then Cade was back with Kol and dumped him back in his seat. He cuffed him back down and moved to across the aisle to unlock my ankle cuffs. "Cade, please. Elena's..."

Cade pushed me against my seat. "Not another word out of you!" he snarled.

"Its not about me!" I tried again. I felt something crash into my face, snapping my head to the side. I felt like my vision was swimming and I struggled to focus. I saw his weapon in his hand and that was what had slammed into my head. My cheek felt like it was on fire.

By now I saw Kai holding a cloth to his bloody wrist and being walked by Julian to the front of the plane. Damn it what could I do?!

Cade unlocked my hands to help me to the bathroom but I tripped on the seat beside me before he pulled me down the aisle pocketing the knife in my palm as I went by it. I felt like I was losing my mind with fear. I had never been more scared in my life... And as a black ops agent, that was saying something! It felt like my mind was going a million miles an hour but my feet were moving in slow motion. I needed to get to the front of the plane, to her. Not be dragged further away!

But just as we got to the doorway towards the bathrooms Matt stood in front of us. Oh shit! This just kept getting better and better. I still hadn't seen Enzo anywhere.

"I'll take him. You head back to the others," Matt instructed and grabbed my arm pulling me forward.

I had no choice. I had to try to get Dick Donovan to understand. He had a crush on her, an obsession really so he wouldn't let anything happen to her. "Boss, You have to listen...Elena..." But I didn't even get to finish that sentence.

He grabbed me by the throat and pushed me against the wall, the veins on his forehead pulsing as he glared at me. "No you listen," he hissed at me as I struggled to breathe. "She is off limits to you. You don't say her name, you don't talk to her. You don't look at her. You stay the fuck away from her!"

He was was seething mad. "You should be damn glad I let her stitch you up before. I am done with you in just a few hours here and I never have to see you again. And you will never see Elena again either! She is mine. You are a murderer, a monster, a terrorist and I hope they put you away for life!"

The crazy guards hold on my throat was starting to make me see stars and I fought to stay consious. "Elena, needs..."

Matt slammed me back against the wall again. "She needs me! Not you, you are nothing!"

Oh shit this was not helping! God knows what Kai could already be doing to her! The man was serving 5 consecutive life sentences for killing his whole family. His parents and sisters and brother. He would barely blink to add rape to his rap sheet. I needed to get to her before it was too late!

I felt Matt's grip on my throat loosen just a little and I slammed my head against his as hard as could. He stumbled back a bit and I grabbed his gun from his holster at his side and spun to slam him into the wall! Oh fuck what did I get myself into?!

Forcing the gun to his head I gripped him around the neck pulling him along with me back toward the front of the plane. I could hear a string of curse words and threats just spilling from his mouth at what I was doing. I snapped the pocket knife open that was still tucked in my palm and held it tight to his throat with the other hand. I still had the gun to his head as I dragged him forward.

"Don't move or I will rip your throat out!" I hissed at him keeping him in front of me as we made our way through the plane. Cade drew his weapon at us as he saw us and another guard did the same. I looked back and forth having no idea what I was going to do. Some of the prisoners were whooping and cheering at what I was doing.

"Drop it and kick it away from you," I snapped motioned to Cade first and then other guy, Silas, I think was his name. The creep looked eerily like my brother, like Stef had a doppleganger out there. Silas was strong and muscular and was training a weapon on me too. "Now!" I yelled out.

Both guards were looking at Matt for some kind of clue as to what to do.

"Do it you idiots," I heard Matt cry out. He sounded way weaker than the ass he always was. "I don't want to get shot! Put them down!" Both guards complied and I dragged Matt past them.

"Unlock me!" I demanded and again they looked at Matt as he gave them a rapid nodding of his head. Silas came forward and pulled the cuffs off my ankles that were still chained together making it very hard to walk holding Matt too. Then he stood up and undid my wrist, leaving me free. I dragged Matt along as I saw two more guards pull their weapons on us and him motioning them angrily to put them down. Maybe he was just a weak little man with a big daddy. He didn't sound so tough now.

We rounded the corner into first class and Julian who was standing by the doorway surrendered his weapon to me as per Matt's frantic instructions. I did not want to know how many guards I had behind me. All I needed was to get to her. I could see her sitting on the seat right in the front row just like before.

I rounded the corner from the aisle and saw Kai just sitting in the chair his wrist bandaged. I tossed Matt away against the wall and reached out to grab for Kai, nearly pulling him from his seat making him scream since he was cuffed to the chair like I was before. I pistol whipped him with the one gun in my hand while keeping the other trained on Donovan sprawled out against the wall. "What did you do?! I told you I would stop you!" I screamed at him, shaking him.

"Damon," a soft voice cried out. Then I turned to Elena who was shaking, her eyes wide with confusion and fear. I dropped Parker in an instant, hearing her voice.

"Baby," I breathed out my eyes finding hers and without another word she flung herself into my open arms, looking more afraid of the guards advancing on us than the guns in my hands. I dropped one of them quickly to the seat beside me. "Elena," I gasped loving the feeling of her in my arms, no chains, nothing to separate us as my hand cradled the back of her head. My eyes darted back and forth from Donovan to the guards advancing on us and back to her as I could still feel her trembling in my embrace.

"My God baby are you okay? Did he hurt you? What happened?" My mouth was by her ear as I held her so tight to me, wanting nothing in the world to ever come between us.

Elena had buried her head in my shoulder, her hands around my waist, as my hand that was behind her head, slid down to her neck, tangling in her soft hair as I raised the gun again in warning at Matt who was trying to get up. I pointed it back at the guards by the doorway too. I could see Enzo now finally and he looked the most shocked at what I was doing, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, his gun pointed at me too. Hell what WAS I doing?

"Elena hey," I waited for her to look up at me as I stroked her cheek and tucked a stray strand of her chocolate locks back behind her ear. "Where did Kai hurt you? Where did he touch you? I swear to God baby I will kill him right here!"

My girl was shaking her head at me as I held the gun up again keeping the guards back. "What, what happened beautiful? You can tell me. I will never let him touch you again." I promised with all my heart and soul. I was barely aware how many endearments were spilling from my lips in my panic.

"He didn't," she gasped out to my complete and utter shock. "He didn't hurt me.

Her voice wavered as she broke into a sob. "Oh God Damon, what did you do?" She looked around at the guards moving closer and I could see Matt standing up by now too his fists clenched. Elena hid against my chest and I held her close to me kissing the top of her head.

I cast a glance at Parker to see he was grinning a fucking mile wide. "I didn't touch her," he stated emotionless. "I was just messing with you Pretty, to see how far I could push you. It was just a joke."

Just a joke?! I was ready to pump every bullet into that worthless piece of shit right then and there just to wipe the smirk off his face! Kai and Julian had done that just to screw with my head?! Oh fuck fuck fuck. My mind was racing. What did I do?!

I didn't care now what happened to me. I had screwed up majorly all because of Kai and he was not going to just get off scot free. I aimed and pulled the trigger at him, the bullet slamming him back into the seat. He screamed out, looking up at me and glaring in shock and anger, letting out a string of curses at me. He pressed his hand to his wound as the blood started seeping from his shoulder. It wasn't fatal at all but I was hoping it would finally get the bastard to back off of Elena and me.

He had done nothing but torture me the whole month in prison. Elena told me that they found out he was the one who had burned my back on the scalding hot pipes even though I had no memory of that night. I knew it wouldn't solve anything but I was dying to give him some payback. If he still didn't get the message, the next time he came at either of us I would kill him.

"That is your last warning you psycho! You try to hurt Elena or me again and I will kill you!" I screamed at him, the gun shaking in my hand. I felt a warm hand reach out and touch my face, pulling my head away from Kai and back to her. I was panting with anger but was soothed so quickly by her presence and her eyes on mine. She looked up at me with...love in her eyes. Did she love me?

Matt was stepping closer and had whipped a gun from his ankle holster pointing it at me as I turned the gun back to him. Elena was still in my arms, holding tight to my waist. I spun her around so she was mostly behind me and none of the guards guns were on her.

"Damon, I'm scared." She was still trembling in my arms as she mumbled into my chest. At first I thought it was because Kai had hurt her but now I realized it was because of all the guns pointed at me. She was scared for me.

"They will hurt you for this," she whimpered, tears slipping down her cheeks. I knew she was right. Damn how stupid could I have been?! I did not deserve to be called an agent at all. Everything about this girl had turned my brain to mush.

I turned her back around more just so I could see everyone surrounding us. I had us backed up as far to the other wall as possible but there was no way out of this.

"Enough!" I called out using the last bit of control I had in the hopeless situation. "Get the fucking guns off her!" I was scared that with all the weapons pointed at us something could happen to her and it would be all my fault. "Put down the guns and I promise I'll surrender. But I have conditions."

Matt laughed at me. "You are in no position to ask anything of us Salvatore! I'm not blind here. I know you won't hurt her. But the fact that you did all this thinking she was in danger and you risked your damn life for her will not spare you the beating of your fucking life." He hissed out at me taking another step closer.

"No Damon," I heard her cry out, holding me tighter, her arms practically locked around my waist.

"Shh, shh baby. It will be okay," I stroked her hair, tangling my fingers in it and running my hand down her back. I kissed her hair at the crown of her head before my eyes snapped back to Donovan.

"Promise me that if Elena has to tend to psycho's wound here that you will knock him the fuck out the whole time." I saw Matt nod almost right away at that. I was relieved that maybe he did see how dangerous Kai was around Elena, no matter how much I was going to suffer for what I did.

"Alright, we can do that. Is that it?" Matt questioned me cautiously taking another step closer, his gun aimed at my head, his stance steady and ready for action.

"Just promise me you will get me out of here before you do it. Away from her," I begged Matt, my desperate eyes on him, pleading that she did not have to watch what was coming. "Please Matt, don't put her through that." I saw Matt just freeze as he was thinking over my offer before nodding his head again in agreement.

"Fine. Let her go now and we will get you out of here, guns down." He motioned me to back away from her and with his hand spun his gun so his finger was off the trigger and laid it down on the floor in front of his, arms raised. The other guards followed suit.

I shut my eyes slowly once more and then opened them trying to mentally prepare myself to take whatever came. I bend my head, tilting her head up to gaze in her beautiful brown eyes again and tenderly kissed her forehead before pulling back. "Let go Elena, you need to let me go." I commanded, my eyes firm on hers.

She was shaking her head instantly at me. "No Damon, please don't leave me," she cried. Tears were running down her cheeks, sticking her hair to her face, her beautiful brown eyes puffy and red. I smiled so sadly at her.

"I don't have a choice baby," I whispered tenderly. She was crying and clinging to me. There now no doubt in the world now how much I loved this woman. And these were my last moments with her.

I looked longingly down in her eyes, feeling a tear in my own. "Its never going to get any better than this," I told her forcing a smile to my lips, raising my eyebrows, trying to hide the agony of knowing I was losing her. She looked broken, empty like she was losing just as much as I was in this moment.

I cupped her face, my hand running down her cheek, caressing her soft skin, my eyes searching hers, offering her any comfort I could. This was it, the end for us.

I took a deep breath. This was not the way I wanted to tell her but I couldn't leave her without her knowing how I felt. I needed that, she needed that. "I. Love. You. Elena," I breathed out, pouring that love into my eyes on hers, smiling to show her it was going to be okay. That she would be okay without me.

Her eyes widened at my confession, her breath sounded caught in her throat. She had tears streaming down her face as I stepped away from her and held my hands up, interlocking my fingers on my head and knelt on my knees.

They were on me in a second slamming my body to the floor. I turned my head enough to see Donovan was straddling me and had his hand on my head, keeping it to the floor as he yanked my hands one by one from my head and cuffed me behind my back before hauling me back up to my knees.

I saw Elena race forward to me and wrap her arms around my neck as I knelt on the floor. I nuzzled her head and moaned her name by her ear.

"Elena, get the fuck back!" I heard Matt scream. I felt her shake her head as it was still tight against mine. I could not believe she was clinging to me like this.

"No, I won't let you hurt him! I love him! I love you too Damon," she whimpered holding me tighter. She what? She loved me?!

"You what?" I heard Matt's incredulous response. But I wasn't even given time to respond to her as I saw Matt wrap his arms around her and pull her forcefully from me. I saw Enzo grab her as she fought him hard, yelling and calling my name as my best friend pulled the woman I loved back. I was ripped from the floor and onto my feet, the cuffs still securely keeping my hand restrained behind me and two of the guards dragged me back down the aisle, past the other prisoners and to the back of the plane.

I knew Enzo could protect her. It was all up to him now to keep her safe. I closed my eyes shutting out her screams as was was forced further and further away from her.

The guards threw me down against the wall and I landed on my stomach, having no way to defend myself with my hands tied behind me. Matt stepped closer, his shadow blocking the light from the cabin as I shut my eyes, not knowing if I would be able to open them again and braced for the pain...

A/N; Totally not knowing what you all will think of that chapter. It was time for some action and intensity but eek, I'm scared to know if anyone liked it. I wanted to update once more before my holidays were over but I'm back to work tomorrow so not sure how quickly I can update again then or if I should give my other stories attention too. I'm falling in love with this one more and more.

Special thanks to my beta delenadreams for her support. Carol for her medical consults and May and Lumi for your detailed thoughts of my story so far. XOXO

Please review. They feed my muse and every one taking that couple minutes to say a few words brings a smile to my face that you guys are enjoying the world I created from our beloved characters.

If I can help you escape from your life and live in theirs for awhile I'm happy to do it. If I can make you laugh, or cry, or freak out at what is happening in the story then that is my goal. We all have tough lives, with problems and struggles and escaping to read or in my case writing to escape is so calming to me and if I can help you for just a few minutes forget those struggles I'm glad.

Thank you so much for all the reviews, follows and favorites. Please take a minute to tell me what you thought. I'd love ideas for things to happen on the island to. The plane is crashing in the next chapter so brace yourselves for more action! Till next time!