Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.

Note: Previously, in "Hunter's Moon," Elena visits Katherine by herself to find out about why Tyler and Silas are working together, during which she finds out that Katherine knew about Elena's relationship with Damon. Elsewhere, Damon and Elijah chase Tyler, and Damon gets shot.

I just got an idea for this chapter today and I wanted to update it. No spoilers, just read on!

Southside Regional Medical Center...

Elena sniffed as she walked into the doors of the hospital upon arrival. She was distraught, and for a good reason, she just found out that her husband had been shot by a suspect that they were tracking down. A thousand questions raced through her mind as she walked through the doors, the main one being, how the hell did it happen when Damon was usually so careful? She approached the waiting area and saw Stefan and Caroline standing there. They had probably gotten there before she did, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that they were here.

"I came as soon as the security guard at the prison told me about the shooting," she said. "Has anything happened since he got here?"

"He's still in surgery," said Caroline. "We won't know anything for a while." She placed a gentle hand on her sister-in-law's shoulder. "He's going to be all right, Elena. Damon is a strong man, and it's going to take more than a bullet to keep him down. Salvatores are survivors, as Stefan has told me time and again."

Elena nodded at Caroline's words and then noticed Elijah standing there. In that instant, instead of being grateful to him that Damon had been taken to the hospital following the shooting, she felt betrayed by him. Excusing herself from Caroline, she walked over to the older man and, before she could stop herself, she slapped him hard across his face, making his nose bleed.

"You son of a bitch," she snarled. "Why the hell didn't you protect him better? I trusted you with his safety!"

She went to slap him again, but Elijah grabbed her hand before it made contact with his face. "Elena, I know you're upset, and I am deeply sorry for what happened in the alley, but I can assure you that Tyler will be found and he will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

"Upset doesn't even begin to describe how I feel right now," said Elena. "I now see that Damon was right not to trust you. You may claim that you're nothing like your family, but today proved that was a lie. You're just like them, and I think you and Katherine are in this together."

Stefan walked over at that moment and pulled Elena into his arms, allowing her to sob into his chest as he ran his fingers soothingly through her hair. Without a word to either of them, Elijah walked away, taking out his handkerchief to wipe the blood from his nose. After he left, Caroline went over to Stefan and Elena, hugging them both.

No sooner did she do that than Stefan looked up to see a doctor coming toward them, his scrubs covered in blood. He appeared to have news for them regarding Damon and once he was close enough, he decided to speak first.

"How is he? How's my brother?"

The doctor cleared his throat. "I won't lie to you, he lost quite a bit of blood. However, we were able to remove the bullet from his hip and the bullet from his shoulder. There's no reason to think that Detective Salvatore won't make a full recovery from this."

Stefan nodded and before he could say anything else, Elena said, "Can I see him?"

"They've just wheeled him to his room now, so you may see him if you'd like," said the doctor. "He's been through quite an ordeal, so I must advise you not to wear him out."

Elena nodded and pulled out of Stefan's embrace to go to the room that Damon had been taken to. She ignored the fact that she was trembling as she walked. The only thing that was on her mind was seeing her husband and her unborn baby's father. She hadn't told Stefan and Caroline about it, mostly because this wasn't the appropriate time to be talking about something like that. No, it would have to wait a while.

Once she arrived at the room, Elena saw her beloved Damon, still out from the anesthesia and hooked up to an IV, as well as a heart monitor, which was beeping softly. She was relieved to know that despite Elijah's blunder, he was alive. As Caroline said earlier, Salvatores were survivors, and in that moment, that statement couldn't have been more true. Elena then grabbed a chair and sat at his bedside, taking his hand in hers and kissing it before kissing his lips. Suddenly, she felt her hand being squeezed and her kiss being returned. Pulling away, Elena looked at Damon and saw him looking at her, his eyes slightly drooped.

"Elena?"

Smiling at him through her tears, she placed her index finger on his lips. "Shhh. Don't talk, Damon, you'll need your strength." She sniffed. "I was so scared when I found out from the prison guard about the shooting. I thought I'd never see you again."

Damon kissed her finger. "I know, amore mia. I was scared too. You and the baby were all I thought about as they brought me here and patched me up. I knew that you were counting on me to pull through."

"You have no idea just how good it is to have you back," said Elena. "I'm going to see this case through to the end, for all our sakes. Silas and Tyler will pay for the crimes they've committed. I don't care what I have to do, but so help me, they will be stopped, especially before they claim another victim."

"You really don't have to..."

"No, Damon, don't try to change my mind," said Elena. "You should know by now that once I've set my mind to something, I don't give up. I've been doing this since I met you, and I've never let a single criminal go unpunished."

Damon nodded, knowing that it wasn't worth it trying to discourage his wife from doing what she had been doing since before they met. "What about FBI Guy?"

"Oh, him," said Elena. "I slapped him and gave him a nosebleed." She saw his surprised look. "What? I was pissed because I thought he deliberately let you get shot. Can you really blame me for standing up for you?"

"You slapped him and I didn't see it?" said Damon. "Well, I guess he'll think twice before messing with you." He sighed. "Still, you shouldn't do this alone. Captain Forbes should assign you a temporary partner until I'm able to work again."

"I don't want a partner, Damon."

"Damn it, Elena, will you stop being so stubborn and listen to me?" said Damon. "I'm only looking out for you here. I don't want you to get hurt out there. How will Christian and Ana feel if they find out that their mother was shot in the line of duty? And how will they feel if they find out their unborn brother or sister was hurt? Promise me that you'll think about it. I'll feel better knowing that you're safe." He kissed her hand. "I love you, Elena, and that's why I want you to be protected."

Elena wanted to protest further, but knew he was only doing this to protect her. "All right, I'll tell Captain Forbes and see if she'll assign me a temporary partner until this case is solved."

Damon smiled. "That's my girl."

Elena returned his smile and leaned in to kiss him, a bit deeper and more passionate than the first time. She hated the fact that she wasn't going to have him with her, but at least he'd be there in spirit.

Note: There you have it, Chapter 11 of "Hunter's Moon." Stay tuned for more!

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