Sam's POV

I struggle to open my eyes, but after a few attempts they open and bright white light floods my eyes. The last few hours are completely black in my mind. When my fingers find white sheets and a thick down comforter my mind goes blank with shock. Where am I? How did I get here? My imagination runs wild over the next few seconds and I imagine Klaus has found me and I'm trapped.

Fear takes over and I try to rush out of bed but my head swirls and I fall to the ground. I hear footsteps coming up the stairs and I know there's no escape now. My heart pounds forcefully as it accepts its fate.

Damon's POV

I hear a crash upstairs and I know Sam is awake. I can hear her heartbeat quickening as I rush up the stairs to my bedroom. I yank open the door and find her tangled in blankets on the floor. Her eyes are squeezed shut and her heart is racing out of control.

I bend down next to her and untangle her from the sheets and blankets. When I've uncovered enough of her, I pick her up and gently put her back on the bed. Her eyes still don't open so I softly caress her face.

"Sam, it's me, it's Damon. You're okay. You're safe here." At the sound of my name her eyes flick open and her grey eyes search mine. I can tell she is confused and afraid, but after a few moments her eyes clear and a hard angry exterior replaces the fragile one I'll probably never see again.

"Where am I? What did you do to me?" Her voice rises and she swaps my hand away while backing up to the end of the bed. My hand hangs in the empty space where her soft face once was for a second too long. I realize the moment is gone and we're back to being enemies. A weak human and a strong, murdering vampire.

"Well after you admitted that I was right and you're too vulnerable to live alone in a car, you came home with me last night. Now now, don't worry. Even though you practically begged me to do it I didn't take advantage of you." I smirk at the last bit and the next thing I know I'm on my back on the ground and Sam is running down the stairs. I quickly recover and race after her.

Sam's POV

Arghh! I can't believe Damon! How could he bring me to his house like I'm some poor sad puppy who needs protecting? And the fact that I can't remember to know if he's lying or not brings my anger up to a whole new level. I leap off the bed and knock him to the floor. I don't even care that I'm barefoot as I race down the stairs and out the front door. The cold rain shocks my body at first but I adapt quickly and sprint for the woods. I can hear Damon calling my name and wonder why he hasn't caught up yet.

I don't have to wonder for long because he is by my side in seconds. He grabs my upper arms and I don't know if it's the cold or the rain or the fact that I've been out done by a vampire again but suddenly I'm crying and if it wasn't for Damon's hands on my arms I would have fallen into the ground.

Somehow we both end up on the muddy ground and I'm crying into Damon's neck. I don't know how long we stay like this, maybe hours or maybe only a few minutes, but eventually the tears stop coming and I only feel empty inside.

"You're bleeding, let me take you back inside and clean you up and put you in proper clothes. Then you can go back to your car if you want, you don't have to stay."

I let Damon help me up and I slowly walk back to the house. My bare feet didn't stand up too well to the rocks and sticks outside and I lean on him to keep me steady.

Damon's POV

Seeing Sam this vulnerable confuses me. One side of me knows this is the prime time to ask her what she's doing here and to find out if she's going to be a risk for Stefan and I, but the other side just wants to sit here and hold her until she asks me to stop. I worry it's me that made her so upset and I decide she doesn't have to stay at the house if she doesn't want to. To satisfy the other side of me I tell myself I can still keep tabs on her in the car.

After awhile I help her back to the house and into the bathroom. I start a hot bath for her and leave her alone to find some clothes. I find some of Elena's clothes in Stefan's room and figure she won't miss them anyways. I'm still digging around for matching shoes when I hear her voice behind me.

"Damon…" I turn around to see her standing in a towel. Her hair is wet and appears darker than it normally is. Her skin is flushed and her cheeks are a wonderful shade of pink from the hot bath. I'm shocked into silence and can't do more than stare. I wake up finally and hand her the clothes.

"Oh…here…umm these are Elena's so they should fit…" She holds the clothes in her hands but doesn't leave yet.

"Damon, I…I…I can't do this."

Sam's POV

I can feel tears fighting to break free. It takes all of my self-control to turn away and enter the bathroom. I struggle to change into the clothes and I've only barely gotten them on when the first tears fall. This day has been too much for me. Images of Jamie flash in my mind along with pictures of Mason's face turning grey and hard.

If that wasn't enough, I keep playing every memory I have with Damon on repeat. I'm so confused. I don't know if how I'm feeling is normal and the fact that he's a vampire tells me it's not.

I manage to get dressed in jeans and a simple t-shirt and leave the bathroom. I realize I'm still not wearing shoes but decide against them in fear I'll run into Damon again. The rain continues to pour as I make my way back to my car.