Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.

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

Damon panicked. Elena was unconscious in his arms, colder than ice. His own pain in his back was like a dagger pressed into his skin.

Elena's blood was also on him, staining his jacket, her faint pulse mocking him from the slender column of her throat. And in all this mess, Damon was struggling to get Elena to safety.

He didn't know where they were, but there was water. Salty water.

Using his strength to carry the girl up to somewhere, anywhere…a shore, a piece of land, he didn't care. He wanted her safe.

One final struggle and he found himself on some kind of solid surface. There was a beach, and Damon suddenly recalled that he knew that place.

He owned a small house once there, and it was actually in Miami. What he didn't understand, however, was how the hell they ended up in the water.

"Come on, Elena," He said, his voice heightening with worry. He put the girl on the shore as he laid back, panting and struggling for breath. Sure, he was a vampire, but he wasn't really feeling strong.

"Elena, open your eyes," He urged, pushing at the girl's chest, hoping to get the water out. She was freezing, and he immediately took off her cloak, not wanting to risk her freezing to death. The fabric of her thin dress had dug into her skin and her back was filled with blood, but the marks were fading.

In a few minutes, Damon carried Elena and they were in the beach house he had. It was still in a perfect condition though it had been a while since he visited Miami.

Elena finally opened her eyes.

"Thank God," Damon said as he touched her cheek softly.

"W-where are we?" Elena asked half consciously, her body shaking violently with the cold.

"It's a long story," Damon cut her off. "Look, I'll run you a warm bath, okay? We have to get all the blood washed off and get you out of those clothes."

"Mm'kay," Elena mumbled as her eyes seemed to settle, and her vision cleared.

Damon refused to let her move so he picked her up and sat her on the counter in the bathroom.

"I'll go get you some clothes," He said after filling the tub with warm, soapy water. Thank goodness he always kept necessaries in the house…

Elena nodded her head and waited patiently as Damon brought her a thick sweater and a pair of jeans. They were going to be too big for her, but he didn't have anything else to give her. It was a while since he last had a woman in there, since he settled in the Boarding house.

"Thank you."

Damon turned and grabbed her from her waist, helping her down. She wasn't even able to stand on her legs, and his arms shot out to catch her before she even fell.

"Woah, easy," He put a stray piece of hair behind her ears. "Look…Elena, if you need any help…just ask," He continued awkwardly as the girl struggled to take her shoes off.

It wasn't like they didn't share nights before…

"I'm okay," She said, her face reddening.

"Okay then," Damon gave her a small smile and waited patiently outside. He lifted his t-shirt up, revealing some painful and bleeding wounds in his back. However, before he could examine them, he heard a loud noise coming from the bathroom.

"Elena, are you okay?"

When she didn't reply, Damon slowly opened the door. Elena was on the floor, her dress half unzipped.

She looked down in embarrassment and he gently took her hands, helping her up. One small gaze and he slowly finished unzipping the dress, leaving her in her undergarments as he helped her get into the bath tub.

Elena arched her head back, letting the water caress her skin, especially when there were open wounds. The warm water seemed to soothe them, and Damon's gentle touch with his fingertips was actually healing her. He gently rubbed the sore skin and massaged the roots of her hair and she was enjoying it until she caught a glimpse of Damon's back.

"Damon, what happened to you?" Elena asked in horror. On Damon's back, twelve signs of lashes were there, and they were becoming very red.

"It's nothing," Damon said, aware of the pain and the loss of strength.

"Damon, that's not nothing! What is going on?"

"I channeled the pain away," Damon said slowly after a while. "I wasn't going to let you suffer from twelve beatings like that. Being connected with someone can give you the ability to channel away any pain. However, it turns out the lashes were somehow connected with vervain…"

"Oh my God," Elena gasped as she hid her face in her hands, "You did this for me? And you carried me and taking care of me? God, Damon I…"

"Shh, I'll heal, princess," Damon said, but in his eyes, pain was seen. He kissed her temple. "You lost a lot of blood. That's why you are weak."

Damon continued to run the washcloth down her body, and then he trailed a finger along her arm, gently wiping the remaining blood away. It was then when his eyes turned dark when he felt a harsh piece of skin. He lifted her hand to saw a purple bruise, which was once a vampire bite mark. He bit back a growl as he carefully swept her hair aside, revealing more marks.

"How much did my brother take from you, Elena?" His voice showed that he was almost begging for sincerity.

"Damon, I'm fine now…"

"Elena."

"He took a lot," Elena finally admitted. "He hurt me. And he liked doing it."

His hands turned into fists and Elena feared he was going to do something he'll regret. "Don't worry, Damon…All I care about is that I'm safe now, with you. No one will hurt me now."

"I can damn guarantee you that," Damon vowed. "I'll be dead before someone even thinks about laying a finger on you."

Carefully, Damon helped her up and dried her with a towel before he lead her to his main bedroom. The sheets were silk, and Elena really did need a good night's sleep.

Damon flinched at the pain in his back, and Elena couldn't take it anymore.

"Take my blood," She urged.

"What? I just promised you that I will not let anyone hurt you-"

"You don't have to hurt me, remember?"

"Elena, I'm not in control right now. I can't guarantee your safety if I taste your blood when I'm under the effect of vervain."

"I can," Elena objected, and without warning she sliced her hand with a knife, hissing in pain.

"What are you doing?" Damon asked in horror.

"I'm not going to leave you in pain," Elena said, almost forcing her blood to his mouth. He almost refused it, but then he slowly started to suck on the blood, careful not to hurt her.

The blood seemed to work instantly, and he reached out for her, kissing her passionately on her lips.

"God I missed you," He breathed in her hair as he moved his lips to her neck. Elena shivered in pleasure as he brought his lips down her collar bone.

"I missed you too," She managed to breathe out, grabbing his face and pulling it to her.

Damon's hand stroked her side as he let her catch her breath. He stared at her, mesmerized. "You. Are. So. Beautiful."

Elena blushed but didn't have time to say anything because his lips were on hers once more.

One look and she nodded, this was what she wanted. She wanted him, and he wanted her.

Damon took his time into taking his t-shirt off, and then slowly worked on Elena's.

The next morning, Elena woke up smiling. Damon's hand was wrapped around her securely and his chin was resting on her shoulder.

She slowly turned to face him and drank in his features. He was adorable when he slept, and even though his blue eyes weren't visible he still had the most amazing eyes.

"You're staring," Damon said with a smirk.

"I'm gazing."

"It's creepy."

Elena smiled. "It's romantic."

Damon playfully tossed a pillow at her and before she could react he had her pinned underneath him. His fingers attacked her stomach and in a brief second Elena was laughing so hard she was almost breathless.

"I know exactly where I have to touch to make you squirm," he added in her ear as he kissed her neck once more.

"Hmmm…yeah you do."

Damon chuckled and let his fingers tickle her waist, and when she calmed down he kissed her again.

"What are we going to do about Elijah and Klaus, Damon?" She asked, worry written in her face. "And the war…they attacked the Dark Dimension, Damon. My own race. They will come for you, you know…"

Damon drew lazy circles on her hipbone. "Elena, I will protect you from Elijah and Klaus, even if it means killing them. And as for the war outside, I'm sure we can figure out a truce…"

"You don't understand," Elena said, "My brother's probably crazy right now. He'll think you hypnotized me or something. He'll hurt you. I don't want to lose you."

"I don't want to lose you, either," Damon replied. "Because if I do, I will take my ring off until I turn to ashes."

"Shh, don't say that."

"The witch that helped us escape earlier…she sensed our love, you know," Damon stroked her cheek. "That's why she helped us."

"How did we end up in the water, though?"

"I'm thinking it's because the Dark Dimension actually started as a…I don't know, in the present, humans call it a cave. At that time, it was something different. But the history of the dark dimension is a long one, Elena. It's a magical place."

Elena shivered.

"A place which you will never go to," He promised. "Never."

"El?" He asked after a few minutes.

"Yes?"

"What did you do at the Dark Dimension? You killed that vampire there..."

"I honestly don't know," Elena sighed, "I wish I did. When I saw him hurting that girl like that...I just don't know what happened."

"I think you are more special than you think," Damon said with a serious tone. "I saw the fire in you the second you came to my house."

"Do you think I might've inherit some...I don't know...powers?"

"I don't know," Damon answered honestly. "We'll have to find out, though."

"I don't think I'm ready for that..."

"Shh. You don't have to worry. We'll deal with everything, okay? Trust me."

"I do."

I know, a Filler chapter because I was very busy! Seriously, I have my own teenage dramas, exams on my mind (one of them being an ECDL-kinda GCSE in Computer) and I haven't really had the time to write.

So please, leave a review :)