AN: Short chapter I know.

Damon and I were still in our pajamas when 12 o'clock rolled around. I didn't feel the need to get into that horrid dress for nothing.

"Damon.. can I ask you something?" I said, taking a seat on the bed.

"Go ahead." Damon smiled warily and sat across from me.

"Will you.. tell me about your past?" I asked, looking down at the blankets.

Damon shifted uncomfortably and I regretted my words.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked that. You don't have to tell me.." I apologized, looking into his eyes.

"No, it's ok." Damon shook his head and smiled softly. "I should be able to talk about it. What would you like to know?"

"Well.. I guess I just want to know how you became.. a slave."

I cringed at the word and I saw that Damon did, too. In the past few days both of us had seemed to have forgotten that Damon was being pampered. He wasn't supposed to live like this, he was a slave.

Damon let out a breath and ran a hand through his hair.

"Ok. Well.. ah." He struggled to begin and I wondered how bad it was. "My mother.. was a slave. When she had us, we were both ripped from her grasp and never saw her again."

"Hold up." I interrupted. "You said.. we. Do you have a sibling?"

Damon nodded and smiled faintly. "Yes, his name was Stefan. We grew up in a boarding house for children, all of us were the children from slaves."

"And when you grew up you just.. became a slave, too?" I asked quietly, not meeting his eyes.

"Yes.. I grew up later, just working in the farms. Then, when I was about 19.. Rose b-bought me. I'm 24 now.. she did that to me for four years." Damon explained, slumping down a bit.

Four years. Who could use someone for.. that, for four years?! I was most likely the best thing that had happened to Damon. Tears began to well up in my eyes as I thought about the horror and pain he was suffering from, and knowing I could never take it all away.

"Damon.. you said his name was Stefan. Not is Stefan. What happened to him?"

Damon stayed quiet for a long moment and I bit my lip. "I don't know."

"Oh, Damon!" I cried, flinging myself into his arms. "I am so sorry."

He wrapped his arms around my waist and hugged me back. A drop of water landed on my neck and I knew he was crying.

"Don't cry, Damon. It's ok." I soothed, pulling back to caress his cheek.

I kissed his cheek and then his lips softly. Damon responded instantly and lowered us onto the bed so he was on top of me. He kissed me again, more passionately this time and stroked my cheek with his thumb.

"Don't worry, Elena." He smiled warily. "I'm happy here."

But I knew he could never be completely happy... as long as he was a slave, that is.

AN: What do you think.. RnR