Hello and welcome back to chapter 9!

Thank's to all of you for reading this story and of course for the nice reviews, favs and follows :)

As always, thank you so much shoppe69 for your help and also for your own incredible stories you share with us!

I hope you'll like chapter 9. Can't wait to read what you think about it ;)

Giuna

Chapter 9

Damon stood perfectly still and stared down to the dead man on the ground below him. He panted heavily, although he wasn't out of breath. He didn't dare to glance over to where Elena still sat on the cold floor.

What was she thinking of him right now? Was she afraid?

When he saw her moving from the corner of his eye, he finally turned and hurried over to help her up.

"Are you okay?" he whispered insecurely, steadying her so she could stand upright. Being near her again and unexpectedly receiving a wave of rewarding and soothing vibes from her body and her blood, he forgot all his fears instantly and pulled her into his arms, holding her tight.

"I think so," Elena breathed, although her body still hurt terribly, and cuddled against his warm and comforting chest without hesitation.

"I'm so glad you came," she wanted to add but her voice failed her as she started to cry before she could finish the sentence.

Damon caressed her back while she whimpered into his shirt, feeling horrible since he hadn't been able to avoid the kidnap in the first place.

"Is he really dead?" she sobbed after a couple of minutes.

"Yes, he is," Damon replied, expecting that the reality of Mason's death would finally cause Elena to back away from him.

It took her some time to take in the reality behind his words, but when the meaning hit her eventually, she felt freed; as if at least a part of her burden that she had carried much too long was finally lifted from her shoulders.

She searched her mind for the tiniest bit of compassion for Mason, but quickly realized that she couldn't find any.

"You okay, Elena?" Damon interrogated again since she remained silent for longer than he was able to endure. He waited for her to say something; anything.

"I am," she replied quietly, not liking the dark way she felt about Mason. It wasn't right to wish death to anybody and actually she hadn't, but now that he was dead she wasn't sorry either.

"I know it must sound cruel and mean, but… thank you, Damon," she admitted shyly and utterly unsure about what he was thinking of her now.

Damon frowned, not sure if he could believe her words.

"You're thanking me?" he asked in wonder, not knowing what he had done to deserve this.

Elena just nodded embarrassed.

"It's not right. I know, but-," she began to exculpate herself but Damon stopped her promptly.

"No, no, that's not what I meant. I completely understand the way you feel, it's just that I thought you would be afraid of me now," he explained and scrutinized her eyes urgently.

"No, I'm not afraid of you," she said and started to stroke the hair on the back of his neck tenderly.

"It would be a lie if I said that it wasn't really terrifying to witness such violence, but nonetheless, I'm glad that he is gone now," she added silently.

"I'm sorry that you had to see me like this anyway. I mean, you said earlier that you were aware of me being dangerous, but please understand that I didn't do it on a whim. The second I realized what he did to you, the hate within me increased more and more and I… I just wasn't able to keep myself under control. I needed to avenge you," he said apologetically, letting his eyes dart between hers.

"I know," she whispered and slightly smiled at him, but secretly hoped she would never see Damon like this again. She understood him all too well, though, "You just wanted to protect me and I really appreciate it, Damon. Otherwise he would've killed me…"

"Elena?" Damon asked her after a while they just stared into each others eyes, desperate to tell her what was bothering him.

"Yes?"

I'm so sorry I came too late…," he said with a shame filled voice, holding her even tighter. Damon rested his cheek against Elena's head and stroked her back gently, hoping with all his might that Mason hadn't injured her seriously.

"It wasn't your fault, Damon," she stated clearly, sensing Damon's dismay in his suddenly heavy breathing against her hair wishing he would believe her.

"I promised he wouldn't hurt you again, Elena," he pressed through clenched teeth. "Promised you!" he emphasized as he felt the failure pinching him painfully.

"Please, don't blame yourself, Damon," she begged and tilted her head back so he could see the conviction in her eyes. When Damon returned the gaze, Elena cringed and could barely swallow around the lump in her throat. His beautiful blue eyes which used to shine so brightly at her the last couple of weeks appeared momentarily empty.

"If somebody is to blame, than it's Mason! He is the one ruining everything. Or at least he was," she said in a small voice and glanced over to the stock-still body which used to be the man frightening her most.

Damon loosened his embrace with the intent to cup her cheeks, when instead Elena's legs gave out under her and she almost collapsed to the ground.

"Whoa, Elena, what's wrong?" Damon's concerned voice filled the dump storage room as he kept her from falling.

"I… I don't know I…," she stuttered, not able to put into words what exactly was wrong with her.

"Are you injured? What is it, Elena?" he pushed her to get an answer which he could work with.

"My whole body hurts…," she whimpered, quite startled how long she had been able to nearly block it out completely.

"Fuck," Damon whispered and lifted her up bridal-style.

"Let's get you out of here," he told her soothingly and kissed her temple softly. Elena murmured something indefinable and rested her head against his shoulder once Damon had started to move.

With one last time glance to the ground she saw Mason's now strange looking face immediately and bade goodbye to the man that had tortured her for such an incredibly long time. She also said goodbye to her past, which would never haunt her in the same horrible way again. At least that's what she thought at that moment. Closing her eyes, she found comfort in the gentle waves of sleep, which wrapped her up in cotton wool and washed the pain away.

When Elena opened her eyes again, she found herself in the comfort of Damon's bed. The light in the room was dimmed which she really appreciated since her head ached so badly it felt like a sledgehammer hitting it over and over again.

"Damon?" she murmured quietly as she felt the urge to be close to him spreading through her body. Only one second later, he stood at the threshold.

"Hey, you're up," he smiled at her and vamp speeded over to the bed, sitting down next to her.

"How do you feel?" he wanted to know, but noticed promptly that she was still in pain.

"Could be better," she said honestly and swallowed heavily.

"Here, drink something," he ordered and turned around to grasp the glass of water he had placed on the nightstand right after he had placed her onto the bed.

"Thank you." Elena took the water from Damon and sipped at it. He was right, the cool water did her well and she managed to bring herself in a sitting position. She emptied the content of her glass and handed it back to him.

"Can I get you anything else?" Damon questioned, still concerned about her wellbeing.

"No, thanks, but I would love to take a shower. I feel… dirty," she admitted and knew that Damon would understand what she was referring to. Fortunately, this would be the last time she needed to wash Mason off of her.

"Of course," he replied and stood up to give her space.

Elena put her feet on the ground and waited a moment for her dizzy mind to regain its composure. When she felt save to stand up, she reached for Damon's hands, he held outstretched in front of her, and let him pull her onto her feet. Damon watched her every move and supported her even more as she moaned quietly.

"Maybe you should wait a little longer?" he suggested, but Elena shook her head fiercely.

"No, I just want to get it over with. Rather sooner than later," she insisted and started to walk to the bathroom. Damon escorted her right by her side, holding her hand all the way.

"Do you need any help?" he asked carefully when they reached the bathroom, well knowing what her answer would be, but he wanted her to internalize that he was there for her, no matter what.

Elena clenched her teeth and stared to the ground. She didn't want to reject Damon, not after he felt so bad for her, but she needed to do this on her own.

"Your offer means a lot to me, Damon, but I can't… I… I just need some time alone," she said sincerely and smiled at him apologetically.

"It's fine with me," he smiled back at her, cupping and caressing her cheek, before he turned to the kitchen.

"I'll go and make some dinner for you, okay?" he offered and nodded in her direction.

"That would be great," she responded, giving him a loving smile, which made his eyes shine brightly again.

Elena entered the bathroom and closed the door which Damon had replaced during their first week together. She walked over to the sink, looked at herself in the mirror and gasped. She looked horrible. All pale and ill and definitely not like her current self.

Exhaling sharply, she began to undress and unbuttoned her jeans. It took her a while until she had removed the tight fabric from her legs and ankles because her body ached with every move she made.

Pulling her shirt over her head posed the greatest challenge. It felt like all her vertebrae had been dislocated, so she needed to close her eyes and clench her jaw to be able to take the pain. Just when she had been successful and only her slip and bra remained on her slender body, Elena opened her eyes again and stared into the mirror.

Her face contorted with sheer consternation and she screamed out loud, covering her eyes with her hands while she sank to the ground.

Without premonition the bathroom door flew open and Damon ran inside, his eyes widening when he got a view of Elena, who had rolled up into a small shaking ball on the floor. He bent over her instantly, but didn't dare to touch her back which was blotched all over with dark purple bruises.

"Oh my God, Elena! What did he do to you?" Damon panicked, not capable of hiding the shock in his voice.

"Come here, please," he begged and encircled her hurt body with his strong arms, desperately hoping that she would let him hold her.

Sobbing badly, Elena responded immediately and managed to crawl into his lap, throwing her arms around his neck. While she positioned her fragile figure on his lap, Damon's eyes roamed over her, determining the full extent of her injuries. It wasn't just her back which was covered with nasty looking blue marks, but also her stomach, chest and ribcage.

Mason must have kicked her relentlessly.

This fucking asshole was lucky being dead already!

"Shh, it's going to be fine, Elena. Please calm down. I'll heal you. Everything is going to be fine," he tried to sooth her, patted her hair gently but had a hard time to keep his own emotions at bay.

"Damon, I… I had no idea!" she stuttered totally on edge. "I thought the pain had something to do with us being separated from one another for too long."

"I don't understand. When did he do that to you and why can't you even remember? Argh… that bastard," he barked when realization hit him.

"He drugged me the moment he caught me. I guess, I blacked out for a couple of minutes," Elena whispered against Damon's shoulder. Her tears soaked his shirt while her mind invented images of herself getting hurt by a furious Mason, trying to replace the black hole the unconsciousness had left behind.

Damon exhaled noisily and started to clench his jaw over and over again, not sure if he was allowed to ask what he so frantically needed to know.

"Did he… did he rape you again?" he forced the words out of his mouth and waited for Elena's answer with tightly closed eyes.

Why hadn't he sliced off Mason's goddamn cock?

"No, Damon. He didn't," she said with a small voice, momentarily ashamed of his question.

"You sure?" he demanded softly.

"I am sure… Believe me, I would know… I would feel it," she said while new drops ran down her tearstained cheeks.

"God, Elena, I'm so sorry." Damon swallowed, feeling his throat constricting as the guilt crept back into his mind, contaminating every good emotion he had left inside.

"Damon, stop it!" she said, louder as intended and with a surprisingly clear voice. She tilted her head back, so she was capable to lock eyes with him, letting him see the fire that sparkled there. "I can't handle it. Okay? I can't handle you blaming yourself for something that obviously isn't your fault. You need to stop it!" she commanded firmly, her tears promptly forgotten. After all, she was the pro in this matter and she knew what it meant to feel this way.

"But it is my fault," he breathed out and looked away; he couldn't see her in the eye anymore.

"No it's-," she started, but Damon interrupted her.

"It is, Elena. While you have been in the restroom, I've heard you crying. It was horrible to listen to you being so sad and shaken at the new information, it felt like I could sense the way you were suffering. And I just wasn't strong enough to stand it any longer. So I shut you out. That's why I didn't hear Mason catch you. Therefore, it's completely and utterly my fault," he insisted with sadness resonating in every syllable.

Elena stared at Damon, drinking in the way he looked. His eyes seemed darker than usual; the fine wrinkles on his forehead suddenly deeper and his lips built a straight line, obviously to disguise the contempt he felt for himself but he wasn't able to hide it from Elena anyway.

"Everything I get from what you just said is that I'm grateful for how deep your compassion towards me actually is. I should have known that, Damon. I should have had more trust in you. I had no reason to run away, hiding my feelings from you because you would have been there for me. I'm sorry, too, Damon," she entrusted herself to him, caressing his cheek, which was still turned away from her, but forced him gently to meet her eyes at the end of the sentence.

Damon's devastated expression lighted up slightly as Elena smiled encouraging straight into his eyes.

"Let's just say this whole crap was a string of unpleasant events, okay?" Elena suggested and nodded emphatically.

"It's not that easy, Elena," Damon objected, although he was tempted to accept the loophole she was offering.

"You're wrong, Damon! It is that easy. You taught me that, by the way. I don't blame you and I'm sure, you don't blame me either. End of story!" she pointed out and her eyes sparkled again.

Damon gazed at her. Elena's sincere words lifted the ache from his heart and wiped the feeling of guilt off him like a hand brush. Only a few shards of an old pain kept sticking to his heart, and maybe would until the end.

"Deal?" she requested fiercely and accomplished to execute one of his crooked smirks.

Damon grinned at her in relief, suddenly totally aware of the turn their situation had taken. Actually he had wanted to comfort her, but at the end it was the other way around. She was indeed a peculiar little thing. And he loved that. Loved her?

"Deal!" he agreed, although he knew that it would take some time until he would really be able to live with it.

For a few seconds he stared softly into her exhausted but still beautiful face and held on to all the extraordinary and heart-warming feelings he cherished for the girl in front of him deep down in his stomach.

Jesus, he was so happy to have her back!

During their separation, he hadn't even once thought about himself, he realized just in that moment. Maybe he really loved her. But how should he know for sure? The last time he had been in love with a woman, was a very, very long time ago.

Damon reached out his hand and brushed the back of his fingers against her wet but velvet cheeks. He craned his neck to close the short distance between them and stopped only inches away from her lips. Damon wanted her back, body and soul, to erase whatever shadow Mason had left behind again.

"Let me heal you," he breathed against her lips, swaying his eyes between hers and her lips, catching her off guard but not unwelcome.

"Damon, I-," she began, but Damon was faster.

"Shh," he hushed her and brushed his mouth against hers, kissing her softly so they could find themselves again. Elena relaxed within seconds, responding to his softness and the beautiful familiarity between them.

But didn't he say he wanted to heal her? The thought didn't last long in Elena's mind as Damon deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue demandingly over her full bottom lip. She immediately opened her mouth for him, letting his tongue swirl and dance around her own one while she was shifting in his lap, straddling him, before she moved her hands up to the back of his neck, tickling his short hair gently.

Damon wrapped his arms around her sides to cup her butt, pulling her firmly against his body, enjoying her silken tongue, which played with his in such perfection that he almost forgot about his actual intention.

Fuck! He cursed himself for not having healed her yet. Damn. She was just way too distracting. He then quickly elongated his teeth, deprived his tongue from hers and sliced it over his fangs, leading it to bleed as he did.

"Mhmm," Elena moaned into his mouth, when the first drops of his blood came in touch with the delicate skin on her tongue, blinking a couple of times in wonder before her eyes closed again with relish. Slowly, she started to twist the tip of her tongue around Damon's, collecting all the well tasting droplets that made her feel like herself again. All the pain instantly vanished into thin air and although she wasn't able to watch the bruises heal, she could tell from her condition the second they couldn't be seen anymore.

While the energy ran back into her body, Elena deepened the kiss, pushed herself further against him and couldn't resist the temptation of his blood, which would stop leaving the little cut way too fast. She gripped Damon's neck firmly as she closed her lips around his tongue and started to suck wildly.

Holy shit! Damon groaned at the unexpected but oh-so welcome sensation.

Oh Fuck! It felt glorious. He squeezed her butt tightly in response and felt himself harden at the same time.

Damon felt himself pushing against Elena's hot core and moaned again, enjoying every second she sucked his tongue.

"Mhmm…" He could hear from her again, before she released his swollen tongue and threw her head back, flipping some strands of her sleek hair over her shoulder while she licked her lips clean. Her eyes shone straight into his soul.

"Thank you, Damon," she said in a challenging voice and narrowed her eyes a little bit.

"You're very welcome, Elena," Damon breathed out, trembling inwardly.

Elena bent forward to reach his ear; her breasts brushed his chest while she whispered so quietly that only a vampire would be able to hear her "I want to belong to you again. Take him away from me, please," she begged.

Damon's heart melted at her soft demand and cupped her cheeks with his strong hands, stroking them with his thumbs.

"You'll belong to me again. I'll take him away from you," he answered her, as if she was compelling him. Elena smiled shyly in return.

With Elena in his arms, Damon pushed himself in a standing position and dropped her onto the tiles in front of him. Smiling at her tenderly, he grabbed around her back and opened the clasp of her bra, removing the straps with his fingertips over each shoulder at the same time and let it fall to the ground. He stepped closer then, kissing her cheeks, her neck, and her chest while he let his palms glide down the backside of her body, lowering himself further and further. When he finally squatted in front of her, he slipped his fingers into the thin fabric of her black panties, right under the small of her back.

The slight touches of his fingers lead her to shiver, and even more so when those fingers circled around her hips in a swift move to pull her panties down her legs.

Damon could hear her heart thundering in her chest and smiled to himself at her accelerated breathing when he blew on the goose bumps, which were shown all the way up to her face.

"Let's take a shower together," he suggested and shoved her towards the shower stall, undressing himself in vamp speed while he stood behind her.

"Don't you want to remove your clo… Oh!" She stopped talking the moment she felt Damon's rock hard erection against her tailbone.

Damon smirked mischievously against the back of her head, rested his hands onto her hips and guided her inside the stall.

When he entered behind her, Elena turned around, stepped as close to him as humanly possible, rested her head against his shoulder and held on to Damon's buffed biceps while he turned on the perfectly tempered spray.

The hot water ran down their bodies, and for a while they just stood there, relishing the proximity in wonderful silence.

Damon was the first to move, but only to grasp Elena's shower gel, pouring a little amount of the orange scented liquid into his hand and started to massage her back. With both hands he patterned big circles on her skin, before he tuned upwards to reach her neck. His thumbs rubbed over her uptight vertebrae and then over her shoulders and along her arms.

Leisurely, Damon turned Elena's fragile body around, so she could rest her back against him. She closed her eyes completely eased, reached out her arms backwards and encircled Damon's butt with her hands, petting the softness of his skin over and over again.

Damon poured some more of the shower gel into his hand, leaned his head and shoulder against the soaked wall and closed his eyes too, when he began to soap up her stomach. His slick hands glided around her bellybutton, up her ribcage and slowed down just before he reached her breasts.

Elena moaned silently and then a little louder as his hands enclosed the fullness of her breasts. Kneading them gently, Damon nibbled on her earlobe, sucking on it slightly. The hot invasion of her erogenous zones led a wave of pure pleasure rushing up and down her spine. Without thinking, she grabbed his neck firmly and pulled his face down to her lips. Uninhibited, Elena parted her lips and shoved her tongue into his mouth, kissing him passionately while he caressed her nipples with both hands at a time.

"Mhmm, Elena," Damon groaned against her lips, suddenly totally aware of how damn much he needed her. While his left hand remained on her breast, his right hand wandered down again, brushing her toned stomach and petted further south. As he reached the smooth skin on her pubic bone, he just hesitated briefly and ran his hand between her legs straight over her heated core.

Considering her clean enough, Damon turned them a little, so the water would wash away the soap on Elena's skin.

Kissing and caressing her all the time, he soon felt her own sleek liquid on his fingertips, using it instantly to caress her sweet bundle of nerves.

Elena moaned in response and started to wriggle in his arms. In response, Damon slid his index finger along her slit, dipped in and out of her entrance while his thumb remained stimulating her clit.

Elena became more and more unsettled and when she felt her inner walls tighten, she pulled away from his mouth and hands, and turned to face Damon just to offer him her cocked leg, which she pushed against the side of his upper leg; her eyes full of need and her face contorted with a silent plea.

Surprised, but also incredibly turned on by her request, Damon grabbed her leg and pushed her carefully against the cool shower wall. As Elena held on to his shoulders for support, he stared into her eyes searching for her silent consent. Again, her eyes sparkled with fire, but they were full of desperation as well. Desperation, he began to understand as he reflected the way she had behaved the last hour. She wanted to forget. And she wanted it badly. And that was exactly, what he was going to do for her.

Still holding her gaze and only inches away from her face, Damon positioned himself at her entrance, stroking her with the tip of his cock to wet himself.

He didn't wait long. The moment he kissed her, he thrust into her, giving her some time to adjust, before he pulled out just to push inside of her again, further this time.

Elena clawed her nails into his shoulders, earning a low groan from Damon while he thrust in and out of her at a perfect pace, giving her time to build up again and to drown in the sensation of being so close to him, to belong with him and only him.

Damon rested his forehead against Elena's shoulder, his face a lustful grimace.

A few seconds later, Damon felt Elena squeezing around him and he caught her gaze again. In awe, he witnessed when she lost control over herself and thrust a little harder and shifted slightly, rubbing his hard member against her front wall, hitting her g-spot perfectly.

"Ah… Damon," she nearly screamed out as her orgasm crashed down on her.

"You're mine, Elena," Damon told her groaning, when his own release rushed through him.