A/N: Hi all. Here is the next chapter for you. It has multiple POV's and a shorter flashback this time so I hope it works to follow along well. It gave me some grief to get everything figured out. Special thanks to my husband for his insight and help untangling my plot in this chapter. You are the best babe!

Thanks also to my beta zaewrites for all the support and ideas too! Check out her stories!

Thank you SO much for all the reviews, follows and favorites and even people pm'ing me to see when the next chapter will be out or giving me ideas for the story. Its been so much fun to write this. I love that people are enjoying my Prison Break VD story!

Please keep reviewing and telling me what you think. It helps my muse and I re read all the comments over and over. Delena fandom is the best and I really deeply appreciate your support of my passion.

Enjoy the chapter. I'm eager to hear your thoughts!

Damon's POV

I didn't want to leave her or Enzo. It was the middle of the night and who knew where the prisoners all were. Sure some of them I could hear on the beach and had seen a fire out that way but that did not mean they were all there. I hoped Kai thought we had drowned. That would be the safest Elena would be from that psycho.

I turned back, watching her walk backwards away from me and toward the cave where we had tucked Enzo in. Her eyes had not left mine that were locked on her as we got further and further apart. I wanted to just run back to her and stay in our tree knowing then that she was safe with me. How were any of us safe at all right now especially if we were not together?

Ric put his hand on my shoulder and swiped his forehead with his other hand, pulling my gaze away from Elena to focus on him. His face was grave and the worry he wore looked exhausting. He gave me a half smile as he patted my back.

"Thank you," he spoke up, his expression soft toward me yet hard in determination to find his friend. "I would never forgive myself if something happened to Caroline."

I nodded at him, clapping him on the back too. It felt nice to be respected and not just talked down to and belittled like the guards had done all month. Or to have to pretend to be tough and fierce like I had been in order to blend in with Klaus and Kol and the team to take down the plane. It felt good to help, to be free of chains and bars surrounding me. This man looked like he viewed me with respect, as an equal, an ally and not a prisoner or a danger to him.

"We will find her Ric," I nodded again in affirmation of my words as I gave him a terse smile. We walked side by side through the trees with mostly silence between us, but it felt like he trusted me or that we were a sort of team. I liked having someone else on our side.

Ric pushed his way through the lower hanging branches of the trees we passed. It had stopped raining awhile ago already and I was glad I left Elena with the leather jacket to keep her warm. I felt a chill as the wind whipped through my thin still damp long sleeved button up.

Ric spoke again, breaking the silence. "She is my wife's best friend Damon. Jenna and Caroline have been friends since they were kids. She is our son's godmother. Her husband and her have been friends with us for years."

I stopped and turned to him to give him my full attention as I heard his voice shaking. I put my hands on his shoulders as he sniffled and fought tears in his eyes. "Caroline lost her husband to cancer only a couple months ago. Tyler was so young and it was so hard on her to just watch the strong man she loved become such a hollow shell of himself, getting weaker and thinner every day. She threw herself into her work in order to stay sane after his death and has taken every flight job she could to not stop and stay still in that empty house. She has not spent one night alone in their house since he died."

I frowned sadly at him and squeezed his shoulder. "I'm so sorry," I mumbled not knowing really what to say. Losing someone like that would have be devastating.

Ric scraped the back of his hand over his face again hiding tears that I could see wanted to be let free. "She has been through so much in her life already. Tyler was her physical therapist after she was attacked one night about 5 years ago and almost raped on university grounds. She was just walking to her dorm when some creep grabbed her, beat her up and she barely got away, screaming so loud that people came running. Her clothes were in shreds, she had a broken leg and arm and had bruises and cuts everywhere. The bastard pulled a knife and almost had dragged her away to his van before she could get away."

I sucked in my breath, at first not knowing why he was telling me all this but now I knew the reason he was so desperate to find her and let me in on her past. We were on an island with convicted rapists and murderers and that was what she had already lived through? Shit!

"She wanted to give up. Jenna and I were there for her but she just pulled away from everyone who loved her. She met Tyler during her recovery and he pushed her to start walking again and fight the depression and the fear. He was her rock and they fell in love and got married that same year."

I nodded again, feeling more determined than ever that I would not rest till she was back safe with us. I could not imagine what she had been through.

"If any of those creeps get their hands on her...I don't think she would survive it," Ric whimpered as a tear slipped down his cheek.

"Okay, okay. I get it man. My God I can't imagine, but we will not let that happen. Okay?" I shook him slightly, my eyes hard on his. "Are you with me Ric? We will get her back." I knew that Elena had some kind of dark pain too and I had felt it the first time we met but I had no idea the young co-pilot too had been through so much so young.

"Lets go as close to where the inmates are and then circle back. That way if she just wandered off or got captured by one of them we can corner them before they take her back to the group." I thought it was a good idea and smiled when Ric nodded his agreement.

"Thank you Damon." The sandy haired man gave me a shaky smile. "You are different than the rest of them aren't you?"

I drew in a deep breath thinking I could tell him too about my affiliation with the CIA. That I was very different.

But before I could answer Ric spoke up again. "I mean the way you were protecting the doctor. You love her don't you?"

I smiled as I nodded to him. That I could tell him. Maybe I would share about the CIA yet but right now we needed to focus on Caroline and then getting myself back in Elena's arms. "I do. I would do anything for her. Hell I have barely known her a month already and I want forever with her. I can't even imagine being with anyone else. She is it for me." I closed my eyes a moment just imagining her face, the taste of her kisses and I literally ached for her.

Ric smiled at me, his expression looked genuine. "Well judging by how close she was with you on the plane and your witty banter back and forth...you two and forever is not a stretch."

I laughed remembering how stubborn we both were when she was checking me for more injuries. I felt so relaxed with her and didn't think about what I was going to say first. She made me feel safe and warm and real when my job was none of those things. She felt like an anchor in the storm that was my life right now.

"Thanks man," I managed to mumble to him feeling more emotion in my voice just thinking of Elena and all she meant to me. Just the thought of forever sounded so crazy especially with me still being a prisoner and an agent. What kind of life could I offer her?

Ric cleared his throat and I saw him looking back at me again and his head down seeing the chain on my wrist still. "But when we get rescued then you will go back to jail right? I mean...I can testify on your behalf that you saved Elena's life and protected her and us and put your life at risk for us but..."

I shook my head. "Its okay Ric. Don't worry about me. Let's just find your friend before someone else does." He nodded in agreement and we turned away from each other and headed closer and closer to the dim light of the campfire that the cons had on the beach. With the dense trees we were in it was my only frame of reference right then to know where we were headed.

Caroline's POV

Yep I was certain of it now. I was lost. Damn it! At least it wasn't raining. I cursed myself for going out to pee without telling Ric where I was going. I should have woken him but he had looked so peaceful and I knew from all we had been through already that he deserved the sleep. He had been awake and held me so many nights after Tyler died. I loved him like a brother and the fact that we got to work together was just a bonus.

I had not even walked very far away to find a tree to lean against to relieve myself. The flashlight I had brought with me lit up enough of the ground ahead to so I didn't trip on anything and I thought that light was enough to make sure I could find my way back to him. But the darkness of the night did not help. There was barely any stars in the sky that I could see through the trees above me and an animal made a sound way to close to where I was. It startled me and I dropped the flashlight.

Feeling around in the darkness for my only light, my hands found it and flicked the switch but it didn't turn back on. Shoot that was not good. I stood up and looked around but there was nothing but blackness in every direction. I flicked the switch a couple more times but nothing changed and the darkness felt like it was closing in on me. There had to be a way to figure out which direction to go.

"Ric! Where are you?" I rubbed my arms back and forth to stay warm as I hissed out. There was no reply. I spun around again and walked further thinking I was sure I knew which way I had come from. "Ric!" I tried again. Damn it!

I walked a little further not even knowing how long I stumbled in the darkness till there were less trees and I walked toward the slight clearing. I could see more of the stars above from there but I could still not tell which way to go.

I kept going even further that same direction and cried out in pain as I felt a branch just tear at my leg. My legs were bare, the dress I had on giving me no real protection from anything in the darkness. I bent down and examined the scrape. It wasn't serious and looked not even to be bleeding. My arm hurt enough as it was from the bullet grazing it before. I did not need more injuries out here.

When I had woken up I had checked my arm and removed the thin almost sheer shirt that the woman doctor had given me. It had stopped bleeding and looked like the bullet just barely grazed the side of my arm. Another sound in the air had me pressing my back into the nearest tree as my head whipped around to see where the sound came from.

Just then something with wings flew by me and I just leaned my head back fast to avoid it. It was just an owl, I thought or some kind of bird. I closed my eyes and curled into the tree trunk behind me. I needed to stay calm and figure out which way to go.

My fingers reached under the hem on my dress for the ring looped on the chain around my neck. I ran my thumb over it just remembering slipping the gold band around Tyler's finger on our wedding day. I wished he was here. I was scared all alone and I missed him so much. The emptiness in my heart was still so raw and it was times like this when I was scared in the dark that I would always want his arms around me.

"Tyler, please help me," I whimpered. "I need your strength right now." I tucked the necklace back under my dress and pushed myself back off the tree. But the next second I felt a hand around my mouth as an arm snaked around my waist pulling me back against a hard body!

Damon's POV

The beach wasn't far and I could see the faint flickering from the fire by the shore that told us we were headed in the right direction. Hopefully she had just gotten lost and not been captured but I had no idea. There were at least a dozen creeps wandering free on the island and now knowing her history I was more determined than ever to find her.

We were almost to the beach when I heard voices louder. Low laughs and whistling sounds pierced my ear drums as we knelt down in the bushes just a few feet away from the group of cons that were whooping and cheering about something. Ric and I exchanged worried glances and before I could lean closer to whisper to him I heard the unmistakeable sound of a woman's higher pitched voice. The woman was crying.

No! They could not have gotten to her so quickly! She was just supposed to be lost in the dark and that was it. I blinked, adjusting my eyes to the darkness more. I could barely make out shadows of the men around the fire but not near enough to tell who was who. I saw one of the shadows gripping another shadows arms as they appeared from between the trees at the end of the beach and throw the person to the ground. Another muffled sob echoed around in the night air.

Ric was literally shaking me frantically and I knew how desperate he must be feeling. Caroline had nearly been raped and now was reliving that and more in this nightmarish situation!

I turned back to Ric. "I know!" I hissed out knowing that we were completely outnumbered. How could we possibly get her away from that many violent criminals?!

"Look what I found!" a voice rang out as the man dragged her up from the ground and toward the group of men down further by the water around the fire. It was Kai! I would recognize the sick sound of his voice anywhere, even without him calling me 'Pretty'.

"We thought you had drowned sweet thing." I saw him haul her to her knees and he just held her by the back of her neck, her head pressed against the side of his thigh. "Where are the rest of them? Did they make it out too?" He bent down beside her and I saw her fighting him as he held her hands in his with one hand, his other hand still clutching a handful of her hair to hold her tight.

Oh no! Now he was thinking that we hadn't drowned! Shit!

I saw him lean in and bury his head in her hair and as he backed up again he made a sour face that shone in the moonlight. "No, you are not who I want. I'll spare you if you help me find her…" Kai said slowly looking like he was moving in slow motion as he held her. He was bare chested, the sleeves of his orange jumpsuit tied around his waist.

"Damon! We have to get over there! I can't let them hurt her!" Ric whispered and turned to sneak closer before I could say anything. I followed after him staying behind the bushes and trees before I raced to follow him behind a huge rock on the edge of the beach.

I could hear them more clearly now too and see them better as well. She was blindfolded with what looked to be a mans tank top, likely the reason Kai was not wearing one and she had a gag over her mouth too. Her blonde hair looked tangled like she had been manhandled more than just the last few minutes.

He ripped the gag from her mouth and shook her. "Tell me bitch! Where is Elena?" Her hands were free and she was fighting Kai's grip on her head before he back handed her and she landed on the sand in a heap, holding her cheek.

Dear God no! He was NOT going to EVER get his hands on the woman I loved again! I sucked in a deep breath just flashing to the possibility of Elena being found and this happening to her. I felt sick at the thought and my heart was racing in my chest.

I wished I hadn't shot him now, his rage at both of us. It probably made it worse. Actually I was positive it had. But back then he was still handcuffed, had ankle shackles on, with armed guards all around him and was on the way to never being in any of our lives ever again. He was going to jail for the rest of his life, serving 5 consecutive life sentences. I knew I did it to warn him to stay away from us. But I never in my wildest dreams imagined that he would be walking around free a mere few hours later!

Ric was looking more undone every second that he was crouched down beside me. He looked like he was seconds away from just running up to everyone and getting himself killed trying to save her! But even if the two of us did just jump out and attack and take out how many? I started counting shadows as I crouched down behind the rock. There was more than 12 and that might not even be right. There was no way we could overpower that many. We would be dead or captured and tortured within minutes and God knows then what Kai would do to me or Ric to get to Elena.

No, I could not risk leaving her unprotected. But then how could we help Caroline? My head was pounding trying desperately to think of some kind of plan. The men had started moving around more and had formed a sort of circle around Kai and Caroline, making it even harder to get to her if we tried. I could still see her just curled up in a ball on the ground and her whimpers carried though the air toward us. Fuck what could we do?!

Ric told me he didn't even have any weapons so what good were two unarmed men against...yeah there was no way. Shit! There had to be something?

I heard her scream again as Kai pulled her up by her blonde hair and threw her back away from him. She landed hard against a man standing behind her as Kai's hand went around her throat and she choked and cried out in pain, her head flailing around and her hands fighting his grip on her neck.

"Yes sweetheart fight me! I want to hear you scream." He let go and punched her in the face and her head whipped away from him as she held her hand up to her cheek as she sobbed. Ric was shaking me harder now but I still had no fucking clue how we could get her away from the literal lynch mob that had formed around her.

"You don't tell me where Elena is and I will just let all of them at you darling." His head was right by hers and he was glaring at her in impatience.

"Please," she begged and she cried out again as Kai grabbed a handful of her hair again. "I don't know who you are talking about," I heard her sob.

That made no sense. She knew who Elena was. Was she lying to protect us, even with what Kai had threatened her with? Ric suddenly grabbed me by the shirt collar and I turned to face him. "It's not..." He sounded like he was trying so hard to catch his breath and could barely get a word out.

I turned back to her hearing her choking on her sobs, she must be so scared. Kai looked ready to kick her and she reeled back. "Please, don't hurt my baby," she cried out as she fell to her knees and her hands went around her belly.

Baby?! I whirled back to Ric and he nodded back to me. "Its...not her."

Relief flooded his face and I looked back and realized he was right. It was the stewardess that they had tortured to get Enzo to give up where Elena and I were hiding before! They looked so similar with the longer blonde hair and were both wearing thin dresses and had such similar body types.

I realized at that moment that I had no idea what had happened to that woman, Jules was it? I had been focused on just getting Elena out of the back of the plane and to safety before and the last thing I remembered of this woman was her being tossed in Kai's lap as the rest of the men searched through the cargo for us as Elena and I had waded through the water away from them. So how had she even gotten away from them then?

I breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn't Caroline. But if this wasn't Caroline...then where the hell was she?

Caroline's POV

I froze, feeling the large hand on my mouth and immediately started squirming to get away. I tried to throw my head back against the attackers but the person must have ducked to the side because I felt nothing behind me to slam into. His hand tightened around my mouth as I heard him let out a curse as I tried to bite his skin that was nearly suffocating me.

My thoughts just raced to the fear of that night; being held down and the man tearing at my clothes as I whimpered behind his large hand preventing me from screaming for help. Oh God no! I felt the tears just start pouring down my cheeks as the terror overwhelmed me. I felt the person's mouth right by my ear and could smell his breath against my skin.

"Please," I begged from behind his hand over my mouth. I felt his other hand around my waist tighten, feeling him push me into the tree. I put my hands up in front of me to stop my body from crashing into the rough bark.

"Stop fighting me," his voice hissed out.

I was terrified and obeyed him right away and as much I wanted to push and lash out I stopped struggling. His hand loosened a bit on my mouth as he had me pressed against the tree, preventing me from turning around to see him. I could feel his nose in my hair by my ear and I could not stop the shivering that was spreading through my body.

I was still only wearing my thin sundress. I hated being too warm while flying and the cockpit was usually plenty warm enough during flights so I had on the thinnest dress I owned. It fell just above my knees and was sleeveless. Ric had offered me a hoodie of his but I had said I was fine back then and just curled up with part of the blanket that was around the man Enzo that was in the cave with me. When I gotten up to pee I loved the coolness on my skin from the slight breeze.

But now with a strange man pressing his body against me...all I could think of was how much I should have accepted his offer to give me a hoodie and how scared I was that night. My mind was showing me flash after flash of those moments when he tore my clothes with the knife he had against my throat and his sick expression as I felt the air against my bare skin. "Please don't hurt me. I can't...I can't...go through that again." I was leaning down, my forehead against the tree as the tears poured down my cheeks.

I wasn't sure if it was my words that changed things but his hands on me instantly felt lighter. I felt his fingers in my hair, his touch almost tender. "I'm not going to hurt you," he breathed in my ear, his hand falling down off its rough grip on my waist.

I tried to turn around to see him and he grabbed my head keeping me facing forward. This man had not been very rough and only seemed to be angry, his touch more firm as I tried to turn around just now.

"Don't. Stay facing that way," he ordered me, forcing my forehead firmly against the tree in front of us. His hand slid to the back of my neck to keep me facing away from him. "Who are you?" I heard him ask me. I could feel his mouth by my ear.

"Caroline...Caroline Lockwood," I stuttered out feeling my knees weak and ready to buckle. "Please just let me go," I begged again feeling more tears in my eyes.

"Who is Tyler?" the voice demanded and I sucked in a breath as I felt his fingers pulling on the chain with Tyler's wedding ring on it, tugging it out from under my dress. Why the hell should I tell him anything about my dead husband?

"None of your damn business!" I hissed out angrily, grabbing the ring and holding it tight in my one hand.

I heard the tearing of fabric and I nearly jumped out of my skin! Oh God no! I gasped out as my eyes slammed shut.

It took me a moment to realize that it wasn't even my clothes that had been torn. I felt a soft piece of fabric come over my eyes and being tied around to the back before the man spun me around so my back was against the tree.

His head was still just as close to me now that I was facing him as I tried to see through the blindfold he had put on me.

"Who is Tyler? Is he looking for you?" the man's voice was more insistent, angry even.

"Go to hell! I am not talking to you about him. Don't you dare say his name again!" I flailed wildly trying to hit or punch the man in front of me.

His hands grabbed quickly for my wrists and held them tight against his chest, stopping me from attacking him more until I stopped struggling. "You should be damn glad it was me who found you and not one of the men eager to take what he wants from any woman."

I was furious that he had stopped me from hitting him. I was panting with fear at everything that was happening. "How the hell do I know you won't take advantage of me? He said I wanted it. That the way I looked at him as I walked down the street, already wearing a skirt making it so easy for him was why he picked me to rape that night. He destroyed me." I could not control the sobs from my throat and my head fell forward to his chest. "So go ahead, there isn't much left of me to take. I'm already dead inside."

I felt him freeze as silence filled the air. "Who the fuck told you you wanted it and then took advantage of you?" he said his tone enraged.

I sniffled, still blindfolded my head against his chest. "I have no idea. They never caught him. But he haunts my dreams. I can't sleep without seeing his sick grin at me." I had no idea why I was even telling him that.

My sobs made it hard to breath as I gasped for air again and again. "Tyler...was my husband. He loved me. He brought me back to life and then he died!" I sobbed harder now, holding the ring tight in my hand and was surprised to feel the mans hand on my head and running down through my hair.

"I'm so sorry," he mumbled his voice low. Was he actually sorry for me?

"So how were you on this flight? What are you doing here?" he asked me, his arms around me as I just lay against him.

"I..uh I am the co pilot. I was in the cockpit the whole flight." I was shaking more now having no idea what this man wanted from me. "Please, there is nothing left of me. So if you want to hurt me just get it over with. I probably would barely feel it. I hardly feel anything anymore."

I sniffled, my nose stuffed from crying as more tears wet the fabric that he had covered my eyes with. I shivered again at the cool wind of the night air. My knees buckled, the fear becoming too much and I felt despite the man's hold on me, my body slid down the tree and I huddled in a ball, my legs tucked up to my chest.

He must have sunk to the ground with me because I never lost the sense of his touch on me. "I am not going to hurt you. You will be okay Caroline. Someday you will believe that," he said and I reached forward toward him and felt his hand stop me before I found his face. I wanted so much to know who he was. Was this one of the guards on the plane?

"I have lost someone too. Someone I loved very much," he mumbled into the air between us. Then I felt more fabric as the man held the blindfold in place while pulling something over my head. It was long and warm from his body heat and I felt the shivering subside almost right away.

His hands pulled the fabric down over my body before pulling me back up to my feet and turning me another direction. "Keep going this way and you will find your friends," he whispered, his lips by my ear. "You don't want to get lost again. Stay together to stay safe."

I shook my head in agreement that I sure as hell did not want to get lost in the darkness again. He was helping me find my way back? None of this made any sense. Who was he?

My fingers smoothed the fabric down more over my stomach and waist and I felt that there was a rip in the bottom of the long sleeved shirt he had put on me. That must have been where he had gotten the material to blindfold me.

"Wait, who are you?" I called out. I pulled at the blindfold and tugged it off my eyes. Whirling around I looked for him but there was no one anywhere that I could see. He was gone.

I turned back the way he had me facing and started walking. I must have been walking at least 20 minutes, the long sleeves of the shirt around me now shielded my skin from the cooler air. It didn't take long and I recognized my surroundings more and sure enough the cave I had left was right in front of me. I breathed a sigh of relief that I had made it back. I was just about to push back the fronds and step into the tiny hidden cave when Elena came out.

"Caroline! Thank goodness you are safe," she said as her eyes were looking behind me. "Where is Damon...and Ric?" She was looking around wildly her eyes wide with panic. I shook my head and had no idea what she was talking about.

"What do you mean? I thought Damon was with you and Ric was right here." I looked down and wondered why I hadn't realized right then that he wasn't sleeping outside the cave like before. "I just went out to pee and got turned around in the dark."

Elena grabbed my shoulders. "You mean they didn't find you?!" I nodded at her seeing her panicked expression. "They both went out looking for you awhile ago." She rushed back in the cave and I followed her. She was kneeling by Enzo and checking his pulse with her hand before putting her palm on his forehead.

She stood up quickly and moved past me and out of the cave again. "Stay here and look after Enzo. I will go find them and tell them you are okay. It's so dangerous out there in the dark with all the cons free."

I nodded at her and knelt down beside the unconscious man. "I'm so sorry," I mumbled, my head down. I could tell the doctor was upset at me. "I hope you find them. I didn't mean to put anyone in any danger." I saw her give me a sympathetic half smile before she rushed away.

I leaned back against the wall of the cave and fingered the hem of the long shirt on me. I did not even want to imagine what could have happened to me if the mystery man had not found me. Closing my eyes I uttered a silent prayer that Ric and the others would make it back safe before I let sleep take me.

Elena's POV

"Damon, where are you?" I breathed out, talking to myself. I had no idea where to go. All I knew was that I had to find him. Caroline was safe and sound in the cave with Enzo and now I was stumbling around in the near darkness looking for my Damon. He had to be okay.

I was so proud of him and knew by the look on his face how much he didn't want to leave me to go look for Caroline. I wanted to insist on coming with them but I knew that Damon would want someone to stay back and look after Enzo. So as much as I wanted to be there for him and stay together, I knew he was grateful that I didn't fight him on his decision.

It wouldn't be long from now before Damon could give him the antidote that would wake him up. I knew his wound was not life threatening and as long as I kept changing his dressings and keeping it clean he should be okay till we could get him to a hospital.

There was yelling and shouting that I could hear from further away already and I wondered if they had gone all the way up to the beach to look for her. What if Damon and Ric had gotten caught!? I felt my heart just jump in my chest and I had to stop and catch my breath as my hand steadied myself leaning on the nearest tree. No! He could not have gotten caught. I refused to let my mind even entertain that possibility. But now I could not shake that I needed to know he was okay.

He had to be okay. I needed him.

I raced faster through the trees towards the yelling and as I got closer I could see the dim glow of a fire. The cons voices were getting louder and I could hear grunts and groans. It sounded like a fight. Please no!

I was panting and nearly out of breath by the time I reached the edge of the trees by the beach. I zipped up the jacket Damon had given me to wear when it started pouring before. I felt warm and dry in the jacket even though my jeans were still somewhat wet and despite him not even wearing it long I could smell his scent on the collar.

Damon. Where was he? I pushed my hair from my eyes and squinted to try to make sense of the hazy dark images around the glowing fire. They looked to be gathered around in a circle around and my stomach clenched as I heard another groan and more cheers. What the hell was happening? Were they hurting Damon?

I crept closer, staying mostly behind the trees. I had to see if it was him. If Damon and Ric had been caught I knew Kai would kill them. Kai was furious at Damon for shooting him I was sure he was just as angry that he was protecting me from him. That was reason enough that Kai would make him suffer.

My heart leapt in my throat as I heard sounds closer to me and I ducked down, my hands clutching the tree trunk in front of me as I curled up as small as I could. I heard more shuffling and I stayed low and held my breath, not daring to move. I could still hear the shouts and fighting and groans of the men nearby and I started shaking, feeling tears slipping silently down my cheeks.

The next second I felt a hand over my mouth as I screamed and fought the other hand of the person holding me. My scream must have been muffled enough by their hand because none of the cons looked up.

I continued to fight and scratch and hit the person holding me until I heard his voice.

"Elena," he gasped out the second before I elbowed him in the chest. His hand fell away from my mouth and I heard a deep muffled groan as his arms curled over his torso, like his ribs hurt from my punching.

"Damon?" I whispered pulling the mans head up from the ground. I was face to face with those deep blue eyes again and I without thinking of anything else I threw myself in his arms.

I felt him hug me tight, his arms around me as we lay huddled on the ground and from the corner of my eye I saw Ric sneaking closer. They were both okay. Thank God.

"Elena," he breathed out again and sat up more burying his head in my neck.

I heard him groan again and I jumped back. "I'm sorry. I was so scared. I thought you were one of them."

Damon grimaced and I saw him clenching his teeth as he smiled back at me. "I'm okay. I'll live. But you got me good." He groaned again. "I wasn't even thinking of you fighting back Elena. I just saw you and was terrified that one of the monsters could have seen you before I could get to you. I'm fine as long as you are in my arms." He bent and brushed his lips over my cheek.

"No you are not," I whispered as quiet as I could to him. "I hurt you. I think my elbow went right against your bruised ribs baby." Damon nodded at me and judging by his expression that was exactly what happened. He was biting his lip in pain.

But he grabbed for my arm before I could examine his injuries more. "Not now. I need to get you out of here Beauty. Kai is right there in the middle of that circle." I looked up in his eyes and he nodded to me. "He thinks we didn't drown Elena. He is looking for you. He is fixated on taking you away from me."

He pulled me closer and deeper into his arms as he leaned against the tree and didn't groan at all from my body pressed against his sore ribs. I just melted into his embrace and closed my eyes for a moment as I felt him kiss my forehead.

"I'm yours baby. I promise you," I tried to reassure him.

Then I remembered what I needed to tell them. I lifted my head from the warmth of his body. "Damon, Ric, Caroline is okay. She found her way back to the cave. That was when I knew I needed to find you." I saw Ric breath a sigh of relief and shut his eyes, his body falling back to lean on the tree behind him.

Damon smiled and nodded to me. "That is good news. We need to get you out of here now Elena. It is way too dangerous with the inmates so close."

I started to get up and held my hand out for Damon to help him to his feet too when I heard loud cheering and hooting. I looked back toward the beach in time to see a man grabbing for another man's torso, his arms around him. What was going on? The next second I heard a loud crack and the man fell in an unnatural heap on the sand. His back was broken! Oh god! The other man killed him?!

I buried my face in Damon's chest and his arms were around me instantly. "I'm sorry you had to see that. The bastards were having a fight to the death. We saw the whole thing till you sneaking around the edge of the beach caught my eye." He kissed the top of my head. "Thank God no one else saw you."

Still curled up in his arms I snuck another peek at the group on the beach. The winner was shaking his fists in triumph and getting clapped on the back by other men before he walked more toward the center of the group and I nearly cried out as I saw a person being thrown into his arms and heard the unmistakeable sound of a woman's cry!

"Damon!" I hissed out and he covered my mouth as my voice had been louder than I intended. "Shh, baby." I glared at him and he nodded to me removing his hand.

"I know Elena. Believe me I know. But I need to get YOU safe first." His voice was clipped and firm, his expression deadly serious as he nodded to me, but I continued glaring at him and he finally sighed.

"Damn it Elena. I know!" he hissed out sharply. "Don't you think it kills me to not be able to help her? I remember she is pregnant too and that Enzo did everything he could to save her on the plane." The woman was screaming now as she fought the man's grip on her. "But we need to go. I need to get you out of here." He stood up again trying to pull me up.

I glared just as hard right back at him and pulled him back down beside me. "We can't just leave her with them!" Another cry echoed around us and I flinched terrified for her.

Damon looked around him before turning back to me. "I have no idea what to do baby." He grabbed my head and stared right down into my eyes as his hands cupped my face, his voice harsh whispers. "I love you! YOU need to get as far away from here right now before Kai hears us. And I sure as hell am NOT leaving you again. So I don't see a way to stop them without both of us getting caught, tortured and probably raped before they kill us!" Damon's chest was heaving as his blue eyes widened still more in the near darkness.

He was mad and I knew I was scaring him. Hell what he was saying was scaring me too! I could see how much I meant to him and I loved how protective he was toward me. I leaned my head against his knowing he was right. What could we do to save her and still not get caught?

"Please Elena, please understand," he begged me, his lip quivering. "I am not trying to be heartless here. I'm already feeling weak, my chest hurts like hell. Fuck I'm scared that I might still not be able to protect YOU, let alone anyone else. I can't lose you!" His voice went up at the end and I saw a tear at the corner of his one eye.

I nodded tentatively and put my hands over his on my face. "I can't lose you either." I leaned in and pressed my lips to his and we both opened our mouths to the other the second our lips touched.

"Damn it Parker!" a voice called out and a man strode forward and shoved the man I could only assume was Kai. I broke away from Damon's lips and watched the scene in front of me now wishing I had listened and we had snuck away by now. It was looking more risky all the time to avoid being seen.

"You told me that if we did end up finding the woman that she was mine!" the man yelled out shoving Kai again.

"Well you and your brother just disappeared into the cave we found for half the night so I figured the men deserved some fun," Kai spat back at him. I saw him raising a gun towards the man. Was it Klaus or Kol? I thought there was only one set of brothers that had been aboard this flight.

"Mikaelson, calm down." Kai held the gun at him and instantly the men seemed to separate, choosing their alpha to stand beside. It looked pretty damn even between the men, like another turf war was brewing. "I know what I promised you." It was most definitely Klaus.

"And I will fulfill my end of the deal Parker." I heard Damon's sharp intake of breath as we stayed huddled down far too close to all of them.

Kai waved the gun at him. "You damn well better or maybe I find your baby brother and see how well he dodges bullets!"

"I will get you Damon and Elena!" I heard Klaus scream out at the psycho and drawing a gun of his own. I was trembling in Damon's arms and I felt him pull me in tighter as we heard loud and clear how much Kai wanted us dead or otherwise.

Klaus was fuming as he snarled more at Kai. "The other thing will take time but I can make it happen. But you don't touch my brother! I don't want to see you anywhere near him! That was part of the deal. You leave me be and you give me the blonde." Both men looked to be breathing hard as they stared each other down.

Klaus took in a deeper breath and continued. "You will get what you want, provided you don't screw me over." He was first to back away lowering his gun and he walked up to the man that was holding the woman stewardess in his arms; the victor of the fight.

"Give her to me or fight," Klaus said simply and I saw the man throw the woman down on the ground behind him and back up. She stayed huddled down curled into herself backing away from the man fighting for her.

"I won her Mikaelson!" the man spat out to Klaus. "I dare you to beat me." I saw him point to the con that was dead on the beach a few feet away, evidence of his victory and his strength no doubt.

"Fantastic!" Klaus laughed and moved forward. I nearly gasped out loud as he literally jumped on the man, grabbing his neck and snapping it before his feet hit the sand below him as he landed. He took him out with what looked like no effort. Holy shit! I could not believe my eyes how easy that had been.

Damon was looking around and I was sure he was trying to figure out a way to get us out of there without being seen. I turned my head and saw that some of the inmates had wandered away from the alpha fight and moved to share some smokes at the edge of the beach. Some were sitting on the rocks not far from where we were hidden. We would have to go around them somehow.

My hands gripped his thin shirt in my fingers as I buried my head against his chest. I just wanted to shut my eyes tight enough that we would just disappear. Then when I opened them we would be far away from here, like if we had the powers of invisibility and could just sneak right by these creeps.

I felt his arms around me and I shut my eyes just taking in his scent as I slipped my hands under his shirt to spread over the warmth of the skin on his side. I needed him close to me. I needed everything about him.

My mind flashed me back to that night again…

I had stayed leaning against the counter in the bathroom till everyone had left. I felt like I was in an out of body experience and just going though the motions of what a doctor would do. I filled out the reports about his injuries and called in to the hospital to find out that he would be going into surgery right away when he arrived. They said there was nothing to worry about and that he would be back to the prison in a few days. I thanked the nurse and hung up and just robotically walked back to the bathroom. I was still soaked from head to toe, my red dress hanging off me and my hair fell in limp strands down my bare back.

I stripped out of the dress and lacy panties and turned the shower back on to stand under the spray and just leaned against the wall letting the warm water cascade down my body. My forehead was against the wall that Damon had held me against as he kissed me. I lifted my head, the water running down my face and neck as I stared at the wall in front of me, imagining his lean body, his hands on my thighs, his lips devouring mine as he pressed us into that very wall.

God, Damon, what are you doing to me?

I stayed there leaning against the wall till the water started running cold and I finally stepped out and dried off. Wrapping the towel around me I pulled out my outfit I had worn to work that day. I slipped into fresh silk panties and a bra before pulling the red blouse closed over my breasts. I tugged the beige dress pants on and found my favorite black flats.

Could I go home? Shouldn't I just leave and get some sleep? Yes that was what I 'should' have done, but I could not stop thinking about him. I dug around in my bag for my oversized brown sweater and wrapped it around me. He would be in surgery for hours wouldn't he?

My mind would not let it go. Half an hour later I found myself at the doors of the surgical ward as I pushed them open. There was no way I could sleep. Not after that. Not after being so close to him. So intimate. My body was still thrumming from all the feelings that the raven haired man had drawn out of me with his touch, his kisses and his smooth velvety voice in my ear. I shivered at just the thought of his head down against my ear, his tongue on my neck, his hands, gripping my thighs. God, I felt my arousal heighten at nothing but those images.

I was nuts. That must be it. Wandering into the hospital just to see him again.

Taking a deep breath a made my way up to the desk and waited for someone to acknowledge me. A short fair skinned woman spoke, after a few minutes, her eyes locked on her computer..

"Can I help you?" she asked politely with an almost bored lilt to her voice.

I cleared my throat and pulled my sweater around my body tighter. "Yes, please. Could you tell me where Mr. Salvatore is? He was brought in by ambulance with severe burns."

"Are you family?" the nurse questioned without even looking up.

I shook my head. "No, I'm just his doctor. I just need to know how he is, please," I begged.

The woman looked like she must be a robot and barely acknowledged me at all and shook her head. "He is with his doctor now. You are the doctor at Maxwell Heights?"

I nodded, twisting the fabric of my sweater in my fingers as I shoved my purse back on my shoulder before it fell down my arm. "Yes I am. Please I need to know how he is doing."

The woman finally looked up and her eyes roamed over me. I realized I probably looked like a mess. I hadn't bothered to check my makeup and had just gotten dressed as fast as I could to get here, throwing my hair up in a messy ponytail.

"Sorry no one but family is allowed. His doctor will brief you before Mr. Salvatore is transferred back to Maxwell Heights. Until then there is nothing you can do. He is in our care doctor. Once he is back to the prison you can resume your duties."

I was shaking my head. I knew it could take days before they transferred him back to the prison. I needed to know 'now' how he was. If he was okay. How the surgery was going. The woman got up then. "I'm sorry. That is all I can tell you."

I turned away wanting to say more, to scream and cry and tell her I needed to know that Damon was alive and okay. Instead I just sucked in my breath, walked over to the seats in the waiting area and sat down rubbing my temples and wiped my eyes. My head was pounding.

Tears were pooling at my lashes as I leaned back in the seat. I could hear the ladies talking by the desk. The woman that just dashed my hopes of seeing Damon spoke to another nurse who just stepped behind the desk at the surgical reception. "I'm off. See you in two weeks." The woman hugged the other nurse and walked away getting well wishes and 'have a great vacation' from a few other ladies on the ward.

My ears perked up at that listening to her leaving, as an idea came into my head. I knew it was wrong but hell 'everything' about my feelings and actions with this man had been nothing but wrong. I waited till the woman who denied me any and all access to Damon had left, the elevator closing behind her before I turned back around.

I stood up adamantly walking back to the only other nurse that was at the station. The others had all scattered as patients call bells had rung or pages had gone off. The young red haired woman looked up as I put my palms on the counter in front of me, my breath even. I could do this. It was the only way.

"I'm looking for Damon Salvatore. He was brought in with burns on his back."

The red head looked at me over her glasses, her eyes studying me. "And you are?"

"Elena Salvatore," I said without blinking. "I'm his wife."

A scream jerked me back to the present as I felt Damon cradle me so close. I never wanted to leave his arms again. The woman Jules I thought was her name was crawling away from Klaus on the beach. She was whimpering and pleading with him to not hurt her and leave her alone. Klaus was just watching her and slowly sauntering toward her as she kept scrambling away.

Suddenly I felt Damon just freeze, like every muscle of his didn't dare to move. It was then that I realized that the woman was crawling backwards right toward where we were hiding! Oh no! I could feel Damon's heart just slamming in his chest against where I was laying on him and his eyes darted back and forth between mine and Ric's. We needed to get away but if we tried to move now they would see us. But if the woman crawled much closer she would find us too!

"Come here Luv," I could hear Klaus' voice as he walked slowly after her. "There is nowhere to go. You are mine darling." She whimpered and crawled closer to us and Klaus just threw his head back and laughed. "Where are you going? Don't be shy. I will be gentle."

Damon was in full on panic. "Elena, we will need to run," he hissed out at me. I saw him looking at Ric, who was crouching down tucked against the tree just beside us between the bushes. "Ric, when I say...you take her and run." Damon's eyes were fierce and determined on his.

"No," I whispered almost right in his ear. "Don't you dare leave me!"

He looked so sadly at me and his face was a mirror image of how he looked at me before Matt dragged him away to beat the hell out of him. "I need to lead them away from you. I promise I will find you." He spoke fast and soft, nodding firmly at me and I saw Ric nod too back at him as I felt his lips on my forehead.

The woman was only a foot away from us now and Klaus just kept walking closer, his patience wearing thin as the next time he spoke he cursed at her to come back to him. But she kept crawling toward us!

"No matter what you hear Ric. Get her the hell out of here!" Damon ordered and I was already struggling as he pulled his arms out from mine. "Elena please," I saw tears in his eyes and I felt my own tears wanting to fall. "Let me go or we both die." His voice was pleading, the blue in his eyes was dark like pools of water in the moonlight. He cupped my face and I leaned into his touch.

The other cons were coming closer now almost surrounding her till Klaus told them to back off, but they were all so close to us that I felt like I was going to faint I was so scare as Ric pulled me closer and out of Damon's arms to tuck me beside him against the tree he was hiding behind. The next second the woman nearly fell onto Damon. She cried out backing away, but even from only a foot away where Ric was holding me to keep me from going back to Damon, I knew she had felt him. I could not tell if she had seen who it was but her startled scream caused Klaus to race forward.

Ric had me shielded in his arms and back behind the tree further out of sight as Klaus moved over her and grabbed her up from the ground.

"What?" he said as she kept crying. Then instead of just taking her back with him he moved forward his eyes narrowing in the near darkness. No! He parted the branches from the bushes and Damon leapt out giving him a hard right hook that sent his head spinning back as Damon turned to run.

But Damon must have tripped on something on the ground and I saw him crashing to the ground. A flashlight swung in our direction and lit up his shocked face before he jumped back up.

"Salvatore!" a voice screamed.

Kai.

Kai saw him and I watched him start sprinting from where he was a few yards away on the beach. Klaus' head spun back just as Damon disappeared into the trees behind him. Klaus raced past us and I saw Kai holding the light at Damon's retreating figure as he let out a shot from the gun. I wanted to scream but Ric held his hand over my mouth as the men all just took off in the direction of my love.

Damon! No!

Ric grabbed me back up as I whimpered in his arms as he pulled me as fast as he could back toward the cave and away from Damon. No I could not leave him! Every monster on the island was chasing after the man I loved. I could not just abandon him!

I fought Ric's hold on me before I felt everything getting hazy and my breath just gasping out of me before everything went black.

A/N: Review? I hope you liked it. It was a bit different but still nice and long.

Don't worry about any other ships in this story besides the ones mentioned before this chapter. Most of you likely know who met Caroline in the woods. But she is still reeling from the death of her husband so she isn't looking for anything with anyone right now.

Not as much Delena in this one but it was necessary for the plot. Waterfall yumminess is coming up soon if Damon can get away. I hope my backstories are not too confusing. I'm happy to explain anything you might not understand.

Till next time!