Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries. Rights to LJ Smith (books) Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec (screenwriting) and the CW. This is purely fan fiction, no profits being made.

A\N Enjoy this chapter :)

IMPORTANT: The punishment scene is found in the book Shadow Souls. I had to do this because it is important for my plot. I am not going to make it graphic, but I'd still say it's a bit of a heart ache…

"She's been out for hours now…"

To Elena, the room was literally spinning. She felt her body weaken and she desperately wanted to wake up but something inside of her was keeping her there. She didn't even know where and what the hell was going on but she could hear faint voices, very distant, until she welcomed the darkness.

"Do you think it is what we talked about earlier, Stefan?"

"Yes," He said without hesitation. "The girl is more than human."

"Well, I told you that the second you agreed to this job, Mr. Salvatore," The other man said. "The fact that she's a doppelganger is almost too much already. But I can't understand how she can connect with your brother."

"I sensed that about her ever since I fed on her," Stefan was playing with his fingers now, annoyed. "I did everything you asked me to do. I even convinced her that she had been here for only a few days instead of months to keep her…tamed."

"The witches must've something to do with this," The other man growled. "It has to be. No human can just…have an out of body experience. She has to be part something else, you are right."

"The thing is, I used Sambucus* on her. It weakened her yes, because I could taste that in her blood, but it didn't hurt her like vervain does to us."

"Whatever she is, all I care about is that you'll keep her safe. As in, safe from your brother. I need you to be prepared when I'm ready for her."

"You can count on me on that one," Stefan sighed. "But I want this to be over with…You know this isn't me. I like to toy with them before I eat them." He raised his eyebrows, and the other one smirked.

"Ah, no, my dear mate," He said in a perfect British accent, "You are not touching her if that is what you're thinking."

Then his eyes darkened, and Stefan was pinned to the wall. "No, seriously," He added. "I want you to keep doing what I say. Nothing more, nothing less. I have absolutely no control on how long this sacrifice will take to be done. All I want, like I already said, is that when I am ready my doppelganger will be ready to die. I spent five hundred years searching for your ex, Stefan. I don't plan on doing it with this one."

"Got it," Stefan said through clenched teeth. "But by the way, your brother had already made his move on her. She knows about the sacrifice, Klaus. He even offered her a deal."

"I know about the stupid deal," Klaus spat. "Which is why I'm here. Do you really think I'd risk coming in here for nothing?"

Stefan nodded.

"Elijah will be out of our way today."

"Wait, what? You are killing your own brother?"

"Elijah wants me dead, Stefan," Klaus said as-a-matter-of-factly.

Stefan nodded again in understanding.

"I have to go deal with my brother. You shall deal with the girl. And remember what I told you, Stefan…You know your limits."

"Got it."

"Duncan," A woman greeted Duncan, with a flirt, in the Dark Dimension. Since practically Duncan was the owner, all the vampires treated him with respect. However, to the poor humans in the dark dimension Duncan was worse than the devil. In fact, he only showed up when there was a slave that had to be killed or punished.

"Janet," He kissed her hand, gentleman-like. "I trust that you can help me with something?"

"Of course. What can I do for you?"

Duncan threw a look at Damon, who was standing between two of Duncan's guards. "Elena Gilbert," He muttered. "The human girl that I asked to be spared from death a few months ago. The one that was put up to an auction."

"Yes," Janet said, "She belongs to Stefan Salvatore."

"Good," Duncan smiled. "Stage two, I presume?"

"Stefan always gets the best beds," Janet smirked suggestively. "Yes, he's in stage two."

"Wake up, princess," Stefan said, stroking Elena's side softly from behind. When she didn't move, Stefan brought a warm washcloth with vinegar and put it on her head, trying to make her gain consciousness.

Elena finally stirred and Stefan smiled down at her. "You lost consciousness…again. Is there something you are not telling me?"

"How could you say that?" Elena asked weakly. "You are the one that repeatedly take my blood…How can I be hiding something?"

"I don't know," Stefan said, "Who knows?"

However, before he could continue, there was a loud knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Stefan shouted, annoyed.

"Mr. Salvatore, this is Duncan," The voice yelled. "You need to open this door."

Without hesitation, Stefan opened the door, staring daggers at Duncan. He was never good in doing what he was commanded to do. "How can I help you?"

"Is the girl here?"

Elena gasped and shivered as Duncan's eyes scanned around the room, the same Duncan that had put her in this position.

"There she is," he smirked. "I want the girl for a few moments…and that's an order."

Stefan was about to protest but he thought better of it. Duncan would kill him, he was the owner of this place.

"Fine."

Duncan advanced on Elena, pulling her off the bed. He then threw a look at Stefan and shut the door behind him, hauling Elena behind him by her arm.

"What is going on?" Elena begged. "Why are you here?"

"I am here, sweetheart, because of your repetitive meetings with my deputy," Duncan smirked. "I know about the experience, Elena. And I don't know, and don't care, about how you did it, but I need you out of our lives for good."

Elena didn't have time to speak before she was instantly dragged in the room she was first auctioned for. The number of people was clearly greater than the last time, but that was not what Elena was looking at. In the corner, a girl about thirteen years old was kneeling on the floor. She was screaming and crying, but nobody was helping her. Then, next to the girl's bare feet, Elena could see a pool of blood and a person lying in there.

Elena was purely American, but she didn't have to be a genius to understand what the girl was saying when she was screaming. "Madre" seemed to cover everything up. The lifeless body of the woman was the poor girl's mother, thrown roughly at the girl's feet, and the girl, helpless was begging for mercy. But no one was helping, because no one cared. Then, the girl sped off to one of the men standing in front of her and charged at him, kicking him, punching him…He was clearly the vampire that murdered her mother. But instead of him feeling pain, the vampire grabbed the girl's wrist and was ready to drain her dry until something in Elena burned up.

Without even knowing how, Elena managed to get out of Duncan's unbreakable grasp. Her voice turned to something magical and dark, and the only words that came out went out like a roar. "NO MORE." She demanded, "NO MORE."

And then, something which caught everyone's eye happened. The vampire let go of the girl's throat and his hands went to his neck, trying to keep himself from suffocating. Elena simply advanced on him, her eyes locked on his, as he started to violently bleed.

And then…it stopped. The vampire was dead, and Elena was left almost paralyzed, standing where she was, everyone in the room studying her. Duncan sped to her.

"She killed him!" He accused. "This girl disobeys her master and murders vampires…"

"She's a witch."

"She's a murderer!"

"She's a demon…"

People were enclosing on Elena now, some looking at her in disgust, others with hope in their eyes. Among the crowd, a similar voice came to Elena and she felt arms wrap instantly around her.

"Can't you see that she just saved a life?" Damon growled as he held Elena, who was now shaking violently. She noticed something wet running down her stomach and when she lifted the shirt, she saw fresh blood.

"Get everyone out of here," Duncan barked at the guards. "This isn't acceptable. None of it."

…

"What are you?" Duncan barked at Elena.

She was silent. She couldn't think anymore, yet alone speak.

"Elena, if you are not going to speak, I have methods of making you do so."

"I already told you, I don't know what happened!" Elena begged, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. "I don't know!"

"How unfortunate."

Duncan turned at the few vampires that were left, watching the whole interaction. "I shall write Elena's sentence," he added. "The True Punishment."

"She didn't do anything wrong!" Damon groaned, moving at Duncan so that the latter stumbled backwards on the floor. Damon held him in a choke-hold, and his hand were already ready to pull his heart out when the guards kept Damon back. Duncan shot up, more furious than ever.

"The True Punishment," He repeated. "You know what that is, don't you, Damon? And guess what, you'll be giving it to her."

"You'll be dead before-"

"Very well then," Duncan smirked as he advanced towards Elena.

"No, please don't!" Elena begged as Duncan got a knife out of his back pockets and made a deep and long cut in her wrist. Elena screamed out in pain.

"I can keep doing this and let her bleed to death," Duncan said. "Or you can just do what you are told, and give her the True Punishment."

Damon hesitated once more, until he heard Elena scream again.

"I'll do it! Just stop hurting her!"

"Much better," Duncan said, force-feeding Elena his blood to heal. "Go on, go make your preparations then…"

Damon stormed to the rooms with Elena in his arms. He kicked the door as he entered furiously in the room, his angel like voice turning to that of a demon soon.

"What are they going to do to me?" Elena asked in her angel-like voice, her eyes looking down.

"Not they, Elena! I! I have to do that to you!" His fist went to the mirror and Elena flinched at the sound.

"Damon..." She reached out for him, trying to turn him around to face her. He pushed her away.

"Go and sit there and let me think!" He said in a harsh voice. Elena was taken aback.

He regretted it the moment he saw the look in her eyes. "I'm so sorry." He reached out for her, "I just can't believe I'm the one who'll do that to you…"

"Damon," She said sternly as they embraced tightly, "What is the true punishment?"

There was no way to sugar coat it. Damon held her tighter and he finally managed to get out the words. "Twelve lashes, Elena."

Damon felt Elena's body turn into jelly in his hold.

"No…no…"

"Elena, I promise you, you will not feel a single blow," He said, cupping her face. "You do trust me, right?"

"H-How…It isn't p-possible…."

"Shh, shh…It's gonna be okay. I promise…you will not feel anything."

She relaxed in his hold, but her heart beat gave her away. She had turned pale, and Damon stroked her hair and her back soothingly, as comforting as possible. "Shh…"

It was less than an hour later that Elena had to strip off and change into an almost completely backless dress. The second she was ready, she was taken in front of every vampire and there was a lot of noise and comments running around. She was being described as a witch, as a demon, as a murderer…

No one was listening to the humans' praises, the praises they were giving Elena. They did not care what she was, she had saved a girl's life.

Duncan made an entire speech until he turned to Elena, who had been forced to kneel down in front of them.

"Do you have anything to add?"

Elena narrowed her eyes. "God will pay you for this, Duncan."

He smirked. "There is no such thing in my world, sweetheart. And you address me as Your Excellence."

Elena just stared down and let them drag her in front of Damon. She kept her eyes locked on the floor at all times, not wanting to make this even worse. She tried to calm him down via their connection, their minds, and she told him that he had no choice and that it will be okay. Her eyes remained closed.

And then, suddenly, she felt movement. Numbness. Coldness. Something wet running down her back. But surprisingly, no pain at all.

"Make her count them," Duncan ordered cruelly, and Elena started to count each stroke without arguments, before Damon would pick up a fight.

There was a white garden. Elena was seeing a white garden, and there were roses. Is this Heaven, she thought, but whatever it was this place was happy. She was looking at herself now, and the other her was wearing a wedding dress. Next to her was Damon in a black tuxedo that was perfect on him, and Elena was holding something in her hands.

A blanket.

And in the blanket, Elena had a baby girl. A baby girl that had Damon's angel-like eyes and soft, wavy brown hair like Elena's. Damon was kissing his wife now, and the baby between them stirred, reaching out to cup Damon's chin. In return, Damon grabbed his daughter and snuggled her, his one arm still on his wife's back.

"Mom? Dad?" Elena was saying now. Yes, her parents were very much behind the other self, and they were kissing her head. "It's going to be okay, Elena."

And then suddenly, it stopped. Elena heard herself say "twelve", and everyone was turning around to leave. Duncan had a disappointed look on his face.

"Hand me a cloak," Damon demanded to one of the vampires, and he lifted the very weak Elena up. She couldn't walk. The numbness in her was taking over.

But before anyone could make another move, a lot of screaming and noise from outside followed. And in that chaos and blankness, Damon could hear one of the vampires roar, "The humans…war…"

And then it happened. Damon was running with Elena lying limply in his arms, as an army of humans entered in the quarters. He didn't really make a good impression to the humans that were throwing vervain at every suspect and then staking them…he was carrying a bleeding body. Like a typical vampire.

His head was spinning and he didn't know what the hell he was going to do. The girl in his arms was now bleeding violently, so violently that her blood was staining his clothes. And then, in that chaos, a female called his name.

"Damon…here! Here, you can escape from here! Take care of the girl!"

He didn't have the time to acknowledge who she is, but he had no choice other to believe her. It was some sort of a vortex, and without thinking twice he grabbed the girl in his arms and held her tightly to him as they both held their breath.

He could hear the woman's voice chanting and he instantly knew that she was a witch.

Why the hell did she help him?

And then suddenly Damon was shocked as water hit both his and Elena's faces.

I think by far this was my favourite chapter ;)

Please, please…Leave reviews! I adore them! And tomorrow's school after the holidays so please, cheer me up!

The plant *=Sambucus is a plant that is said to be used in the older days as a protection against the supernatural, mostly things connected with ghosts and witches. In some legends, it is also toxic to vampires. The Sambucus is also known as simply "Elder".