Gravity

Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaries.

Are we calm?

This chapter's a big one….and it starts with a flashback...enjoy...

October 7th 2013

Monday 11.30am

Mystic Falls

The transfer from the jail in Portland to the airport was a blur and I don't even remember the flight. Next thing I knew I was being shoved into the back of a police car from officers I recognized from Mystic Falls.

It's all starting to feel real now. We pass through recognizable roads as we head back towards Mystic Falls and I can't fight the sickening feeling in my stomach.

I keep my eyes glued to the window, ignoring the two police officers sat up front who are trying to badger me for conversation. They ask me where I've been for the last 6 months, and how I managed to not get caught. They made snarky comments about me taking 'the detectives daughter' and how Gilbert just can't wait to see me again.

I ignore them all and eventually they must get fed up themselves because they stop talking.

We are just outside of the town border when they pull off into the side of the road. I frown confused, looking up at them expectantly but I don't say a word.

One of the guys looks at me through the mirror but neither say anything as they both get out of the car. I shuffle awkwardly in my seat, my hands and feet still cuffed together tightly as I struggle to look around.

Next thing I know the passenger side is swung open and I jump back against my side of the door, wide eyed as I man gets in next to me.

I tense when I recognize who it is. My heart starts to beat fast against my chest because I realize this could go either way. Good or bad.

"Hello Damon." Zach smirks at me as he closes the door behind him. "Long time no see."

"Zach," his name falls off my lips in disbelief. "What are you doing? What the hell is going on?" I look through the back window, the two cops are stood a few feet away, cigarettes in their hands with their backs to the car. Chatting happily to one another like they haven't just breached their code of conduct.

I realize that they'll be one of Zach's many connections on the 'inside' and are most likely also on his payroll.

"Well, I knew once Grayson got his hands on you I'd never be able to get to you." he shrugs easily, like this is like any normal conversation. "I have to say, I was shocked you lasted as long as you did, especially with the morally behaved detectives daughter by your side." I roll my eyes at his comment, because he clearly doesn't know anything about Elena. "I'm impressed, kid. Well done, I have to at least give you credit for that one."

I sigh loudly, feeling defeated in more ways than one. "What do you want, Zach? What is this?"

He sighs dramatically. "When you turned yourself in, did you give a little murder confession to go along with it?" he questions me outright.

I scowl and look at him in disbelief. "A confession? No. I didn't do anything to confess! I accept the assault charges, I did that. I accept the evading arrest, but murder? No." I hiss at him defensively. "You know I didn't kill Vaughn, Zach."

He nods slowly. "You're right, I do know that." he taps his finger against his chin. "You know...turning yourself in was a mistake."

I ignore him. I did what was right for Elena and I'm going to stand by that choice.

"You're going to regret that." he sighs and I look at him suspiciously. "You could have gone to Mexico or Canada, lived under new identities and completely got away with it. Instead you decided to be a pussy and go running back to the cops?"

"It's called taking responsibility for my actions." I snap at him angrily. "Something which you clearly have no experience of."

"Well Damon, because of your new found moral compass, you've put me in quite the predicament." he explains thoughtfully.

"It can't be worse than the one I'm in right now." I mutter bitterly.

He laughs. He actually laughs. "No you're probably right," he pats my shoulder roughly. "So to cut the bullshit, I'm just going to go right ahead and get to the point." Here we go. "You're going to plead guilty to killing Vaughn."

I freeze. "What?!"

"You heard me."

"No way!" I shout at him in disbelief. "Have you lost your damn mind?! I didn't kill him! Why the hell would I plead guilty?"

"It's pretty simple, really." he shrugs sounding so scarily casual as if we are talking about the weather. "You plead guilty, Elena lives. You plead not guilty, she dies."

My heart stops.

"Wh-what?" I stutter, unsure if I just heard him right.

"Sorry, did you not hear me clearly?" he leans forward, his whole stance is menacing. He looks like a completely different person. He looks dangerous. "Let me explain a little better..." he sends me a mocking smile. "I need someone to take the fall for Vaughn's death. If this goes to trial, the cops might find something that links me to Vaughn and we don't want that, do we?"

"It was you?! You killed him?!" I look at him in shock. "You set me up?!"

He rolls his eyes and blows out air from between his lips. "Oh come on, stop being so dramatic! I never said that." he laughs and I look at him in complete horror. "All I'm saying is, I need someone to take the fall to take away any unwanted attention headed my way. It was fine while you were running, everyone just assumed it was you. But now you're back and that's a problem. So let me tell you again, and I'm going to make this abundantly clear. If you don't plead guilty and take the wrap for this, I'm going to kill your precious little girlfriend."

I feel sick.

I shake my head furiously, my entire body feeling numb. "No. No you can't do that. Elena has nothing to do with this!"

He smirks but doesn't reply. "You would never get away with it! Killing the detectives daughter? Grayson isn't stupid! He would know...I would tell him! I would tell him everything about this whole conversation!"

"What does it matter by then? She'd be dead." he grins like it's nothing. Like Elena's life means nothing.

Her life means everything.

"I would make it seem like it was an accident." he continues casually. My ears are ringing. "Oh!" he gasps excitedly and I feel like I'm about to throw up. "I could make it look like suicide!" he grins. "I mean, that's pretty believable, right? A young girl depressed because her boyfriend is about to go to jail on a life sentence so she takes a few too many pills to take away the pain and heartache and bam - another teen suicide!"

"You're sick!" I snarl at him furiously, my forehead dripping with sweat. "How can you treat this like a joke?! I love her! I love her and you're threatening her life like it means nothing!"

"And that, my darling nephew, is your biggest character flaw." he grips my shoulder tightly. I try to pull out of his grasp but my cuffed hands and feet are making it difficult to move. "I used to respect you, Damon. You were always my favorite in the family, but then you had to go and fall in love. To make matters worse, you had to go and fall in love with a freaking Gilbert! You betrayed our family, Damon, you betrayed our Salvatore name!"

"If this is how you treat your family then I don't want to be any part of it!" I snarl at him furiously. "I swear to God Zach, if you touch one hair on Elena's head I will make this murder charge count and kill you for real!"

"How exactly do you plan on doing that?" he asks amused, tugging on my cuffed hands. "You're going to be locked away for a very, very long time." he smirks at me.

I jump as I feel a tap on the window. "Time's up Zach!" one of the asshole cops shouts through the glass.

Zach nods at him before turning back to me. "Plead guilty, Damon, or Elena is dead. It really is that simple." he taps his hand against my cheek patronizingly. "Have a nice life, dear nephew." He jumps out of the car as I practically growl.

I cannot believe this is happening.

I cannot believe that he would do this to me.

I know that he's being serious. I've seen him threaten other people in the past and he went through with it.

Even if he's bluffing, how could I possibly take that risk? How could I possibly risk Elena's life.

I close my eye and lean my head back against the chair.

I know what I need to do.

March 7th 2017

Tuesday 8.00pm

Mystic Falls

I try to focus on the movie we are watching but I can't take my mind away from what happened with Stefan and Zach earlier. I can't fight the pit in my stomach that seems to just be getting worse and worse.

I glance at Caroline, she doesn't seem to be watching the movie either. Instead she is constantly checking her phone and sighing loudly and slamming it down onto the bed beside her before picking it back up again five seconds later to check.

I huff loudly and switch the TV off. It takes Caroline a good ten seconds before she even realizes.

"Are you okay?" I ask her suspiciously. "You have been checking that thing all night." I point to her phone with a raised eyebrow.

"Um you are one to talk." she replies defensively without answering the question. "Don't think I haven't noticed you on your phone through the whole movie either. You sexting Liam?"

"No!" I tut at her in annoyance. "I was just texting my Dad to see what time he would be home tonight. I want to find out what happened earlier with the Salvatore's."

Caroline immediately perks up. "What did he say?"

"No reply." I mutter coldly. "So I figured I would try Ric to see if he found anything else out but he hasn't replied either."

"Weird." Caroline mumbles quietly.

"I don't know what it is, Care, but I have a bad feeling about this." I can't help the words falling from my lips. "I just...I don't think my Dad would lie to my face like that but something inside of me keeps pushing me to question whether or not this has something to do with Damon." I let out a frustrated breath. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid? It was just the way Stefan looked at me. I can't explain it but…it just…I don't know." I groan in defeat and sink into my pillow frustrated.

Caroline stares at me for a long hard moment. "Why don't you ask him?"

"Ask him?" I look back up at her and shake my head. "How? It's not like I have his phone number and there is no way in hell I am going over to the boarding house."

Let's just say I didn't exactly get a warm welcome from the Salvatore's when I returned back to Mystic Fall all those years ago.

Caroline cringes slightly. "I could give you his number?"

My head shoots around to face her confused. "You? What? How?"

"I have it." She replies meekly and I swear she is blushing.

"Why on earth do you have Stefan Salvatore's phone number?" She cringes and I look at her suspiciously. "Caroline…"

"I've…oh god, you are going to hate me." She groans and covers her face with her hands. "You are going to think I am the world's biggest hypocrite!"

"What?" I ask baffled. "Why? Caroline – OH MY GOD!" I gap when realization suddenly hits me. "Stefan?!" my voice raises unintentionally.

She nods slowly, her eyebrows pressed together awkwardly. "It was never planned!"

I look at her exasperated. "You mean…I…how long?!" I stutter out shocked.

"A few weeks."

"A few weeks?!" I gawp at her. "Wait…you mean…all those times you've sneaked out, or you never came home you actually really weren't with Jesse?!" I ask her in disbelief. Wow, I was convinced.

"No!" she whines. "I told you that Jesse and I were just friends!" she groans and shoves a pillow in her face dramatically before peeking over the top of it. "Do you hate me?" she asks quietly, a guilty look on her face.

"I'm shocked…like seriously…stunned. This is totally out of the blue." I admit. "But hate you? Why on earth would I hate you?" I ask with a small baffled smile.

"I wasn't exactly supportive when I found out about you and Damon." She cringes guiltily. "I understand now how much of a bitch I was. I judged you over him and it wasn't fair. Now look at me, I've done the exact same thing."

"Well…those Salvatore's sure know how get inside a girls head." I murmur quietly, pushing back the flutter in my stomach as I think about those intense blue eyes.

Now is not the time for reminiscing.

"Yup." She sighs loudly. "Tell me about it."

"So…is it serious?"

"I don't know." She admits quietly, and it's so unlike Caroline. "It was never supposed to be. We shared a couple of classes together last year and then ended up working on a project together last semester and we somehow managed to hit it off. I never knew how funny he was. He's just a fun guy, you know? So we started to become friends, like real genuine friends. Then one night at a party we both had a little bit too much to drink and we ended up in bed together. It was great." She gushes and I grin. "We were supposed to just be friends with benefits. We figured we had fun together and the sex was great, we were both single so why not?"

"But then…" I trail for her as she pauses.

"Lately it's been different." She confesses shyly. "I'm starting to see him in ways that I never noticed before and just the thought of him being with another girl sends horrible shivers up my spine and actually makes me feel a little psychotic."

"You should tell him how you feel."

She shakes her head. "No, no way! I don't want to ruin anything."

"You may ruin it more if you keep this to yourself. Trust me."

She looks at me slightly amazed. "Are you really not mad?"

"How can I be mad?" I smile sadly. "I've been in your shoes. I know what it's like to fall in love with someone who you're not supposed to."

"I'm sorry I was such a bitch to you about Damon." She tells me sincerely and I nod my head with a small smile.

"I know." I squeeze her hand. "You know, you really didn't have to keep it a secret from me, and I don't mean you sleeping with him. You and Stefan being friends is okay."

"I just…I didn't want to bring back bad memories."

I try to push back those flutters again. "I don't have many bad memories of Damon, trust me." I whisper softly.

She stares at me long and hard. "Do you still love him?" she asks the question that nobody has asked me in a very long time.

I feel my eyes burn and my heart rate speeds up but I know that I won't be able to lie about this.

"I don't think I would ever be able to stop." I confess sadly, a tear escaping my eye.

"Oh Elena," she looks at me sympathetically and wraps her arms around me. We stay like this for a short moment, and when she pulls away I give her a watery smile. "You'll be okay. And you have Liam now, you're so lucky to have found someone like him to have in your life."

I swallow the lump in my throat. "It's just hard sometimes, you know? I don't really like to talk about it out loud."

"I know." She understands, wiping a tear from my cheek. "But you put your life on pause for over two years. It took three years for you to even think about going on a date again. You have to live your life, Elena. It sucks what happened to Damon, it really does." It does more than suck. I hold back the comment as she continues. "But it would suck even more if you were also trapped in your own prison cell in your mind. Unfortunately life moves on and the world continues to spin no matter what the tragedy. You can't just stand still, waiting for something which may probably never happen." She smiles at me softly. "You did good, Elena. You did really good."

I smile slowly, pushing back the constant feeling of guilt and sadness that I feel whenever someone brings up Damon.

"So…can I try calling Stefan now?" she changes the subject slightly back to it's original topic. "I've been super worried about him ever since you told me what happened with Zach and he won't text me back either!"

"Yeah," I urge her quickly. "Go right ahead."

He didn't pick up.

"I mean no offence or anything Mr Saltzman, but you're a history teacher. What exactly can you do?"

I sit in the back of Grayson's car holding an ice pack to my bruised and cut face. Zach got me pretty bad. I've seen him mad before, I've even seen him fight Damon and one of my other uncles like that but I've never ever been on the receiving end of it.

Alaric's reply from my original question pulls me straight back from my wandering thoughts.

"I want to get Damon out just as much as you do." Ric answers me back and I scoff.

"Yeah right, you're practically a Gilbert yourself."

"Damon's my friend."

"You were the only teacher he liked in high school - that doesn't make him your friend." I point out stubbornly. It's not that I don't want the help, I just want to make sure he is here for the right reasons.

"Damon hasn't told you, huh?" he questions me while shaking his head.

I frown suspiciously. "Told me what?"

"That I've been visiting him in prison."

I freeze. "What?"

He turns his head around to look at me. I notice that Detective Gilbert has been unusually quiet through all of this but I don't point it out. "I've been seeing Damon in prison. Around once a month, and I have been going since the very start."

I feel a pit of anger take over me. Once a month?! That's more than Damon even lets me go!

"Ladies," Gilbert finally speaks up, stopping me from saying anything in response. "We're here." he stops the car and I look around surprised. We're in a nice neighborhood, the complete opposite to where Will used to live.

"Are you sure this is it?" I ask baffled.

"Yes I'm sure." Gilbert replies coldly.

"So, we playing this the same way as we planned the last time?" I ask casually. I'm already wired and set to go. I just want to get this over with.

"No." He looks serious. "We don't have the time to mess about now. You only get one chance at this Stefan. Zach will be out by the morning and I'm sure it won't take him long to find out about this visit. I need you to go straight in there and get me answers."

"Are you serious?" I ask in disbelief. "Will isn't just going to tell me what happened straight up!"

"Well you're going to have to make him." Gilbert orders me firmly. "I'm not messing around here, Stefan. Zach knows what we are doing now. This is your only chance to free your brother. You better make sure you take it!"

My heart rate speeds up in panic. Maybe I was naïve with Zach, I figured once he calmed down a bit I would spin a lie to explain what happened and that would be that. I didn't think so much would be relying on this meeting, on me, right now.

"Are you sure there's no other way?" Ric asks Grayson calmly.

"Unfortunately not." Grayson replies somberly. "If we don't get what we need tonight, there is a very high chance that Zach will find out exactly what we are doing and all of the work we have done for the last four years would go to hell. I'm not willing to take that risk." he turns to face me. "I know this isn't going to be easy, but I need you to go in there hard. I need you to try and find out every last detail that you possibly can, I don't care if you're in there all night. You need to walk back out of that door with enough evidence for me to arrest Zach or all of this was for nothing and your brother will most likely spend the rest of his life in a prison cell."

I stare at him with wide eyes. My heart pounding. "Okay." I mumble. "Okay." I say again with a little more determination.

Ric turns to face me, a determined look is also on his face. "Come on, let's go." he climbs out of the car and I follow. He gives me one last check to make sure my wire isn't showing before we walk up towards the door. I'm about to ring the doorbell but I freeze, turning to face Ric.

"Maybe you should take the back door." I tell him and he looks at me confused. "I just have a feeling Will won't be happy to see me and might bolt."

He nods in understanding and heads off without another word, climbing over the back gate into the yard. I take a deep breath and ring the doorbell.

Here we go.

It doesn't take long for the door to open and the second it does, Will's eyes widen in shock. "Stefan? Wh-what are you doing here?"

I shrug. "I was in the neighborhood." I smirk at him and he stares at me for another second before turning on his heel and bolting. I sigh, and step into the house, closing the door behind me as Will runs along the narrow corridor quickly which takes you all the way to the back door.

"He tried to run." I murmur quietly so Will can't hear. Knowing that Grayson is listening to and recording every single world. Predictably, Will doesn't get very far because the second he opens the back door Ric is there to stop him. I watch slightly amused as Alaric shoves him back inside the house.

"Sorry kid, but you're not going anywhere just yet."

Will surprisingly doesn't try to fight him, instead he slowly turns around to face me, a look of defeat on his face. "So, how did you find me?"

I shrug and go to answer but immediately stop. This is my last shot. I can't mess this up. "Zach sent me." the lie falls from my lips easily and Will tenses.

"Zach?"

"No." Will shakes his head. "Zach promised to leave me alone. That was the deal." he splutters and I can tell that he is nervous. Or on something - in fact, knowing Will it's probably both. I see Ric send me look from behind Will. What deal?

"I'm not here for any trouble." I hold up my hands. "Zach just wanted me to check up on you that's all. Have a little catch up."

Will eyes me cautiously, a hint of suspicion on his face but I wait it out. Luckily for me, it pays off. "Fine." he gives in, sounding a little annoyed. We walk into the living room and look around, it's quite spacious. A lot bigger than the last one.

"Nice little place you got here." I look around on my feet before sitting down. Will sits on the couch opposite me, Alaric opting to stand by the door.

Will shrugs silently before glancing at Ric. "Who's this?"

"Never mind who he is." I answer sternly and Will smirks, an amused look in his eyes.

"Look at you being all authoritative." he chuckles. "Zach's trained you well." he stops laughing and stares at me for a long moment. "Picking up where Damon left off?"

"Not exactly" I respond. "I'm not going to betray the family name like my brother did."

Will nods slowly before reaching under his chair. I jump up as he pulls something out from underneath him but the sound of his laughter makes me still. "Relax," he chuckles and pulls out a box. He opens it up and I sigh when I see the box full of small paper bags filled to the brim with cocaine. Of course. I glance at Ric who looks tense himself before I sit back down. "Want some?" he pulls a packet out.

"No thanks." I reply coldly. Will shrugs and pours out a line before snorting it all up. "I see you haven't changed in the last four years."

"Well, I need something to get me through the days." Will leans back into his chair. "I may be in a nice house now but what's a nice house if you have no friends to invite over to it?" he scoffs and I notice his right leg starting to bounce up and down.

"You not made any new friends?" I question with a raised eyebrow before smirking. "Seems like a nice neighborhood full of nice people."

"Yeah, that's the fucking problem." he mutters bitterly. "It's been almost four years! Four fucking years trapped in this place." Four years? I feel my heart start to pound again. I glance discreetly at Ric who still stands tense, his arms folded across in front of his chest as he stands by the door. Surely this cannot be a coincidence? "You know this was only supposed to be temporary, right?" he shifts around on his seat like he cannot sit still, clearly the drugs he has taken have gone straight to his head already.

"What was temporary?" Ric speaks up for the first time. Will turns to look up at him surprised before glancing back at me.

"So the guard dog does speak, huh?" he smirks. "He in the loop?"

"He knows everything." I reply calmly, trying my best to act like I know what the hell I'm talking about.

"Zach promised me I could go back to South Hill once everything calmed down." he shakes his head before leaning down and snorting up another line. I sit tensely, waiting for him to continue. It seems, surprisingly, that Will's drug addiction is actually working in my favor here. It's making him a lot more open. "It's been four years since Vaughn was killed, three and a half since Damon turned himself in. What is he waiting for? Everything went exactly like he planned."

Grayson was right. Will knows exactly what happened that night! I try to keep myself calm. I need to make sure it's not obvious that I don't know what happened that night. I need Will to believe that I know everything. I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders right now. Damon's life and freedom is literally depending on my ability to play along with this lie.

To finish what I started.

"You know how Zach is - he can get a little paranoid." I offer Will, trying to sound somewhat reassuring.

"Paranoid?! I'm the one who is paranoid! I jump every single time the phone rings or there is a knock on the door! So I got a nice house and all my debts paid off? So what!" he jumps to his feet and runs his fingers through his messy hair. "You need to tell him, Stefan! You need to tell him that I should be allowed to leave this god damn picket fence town and go back home!"

I slowly stand up. "Will, calm down buddy." I glance at Ric before continuing. "That's why I'm here."

Big risk. Big big big risk!

He looks at me surprised. "I can go back to South Hill?"

"Not yet..." I look at Ric again who has taken a small discreet step forward. "You just need to hold on a little longer, Will." my mind is spinning. So much new information is flying around my head.

A realization suddenly hits me hard.

I have a feeling. I have a really bad feeling. My heart is pounding furiously and my hands are shaking, I try my best to stay calm. I try my best to keep my anger in check.

I hold back the rage as the next sentence escapes my lips.

"It could be worse, right? You could be serving a life sentence in prison like my brother." my voice comes out bitter but I couldn't help it.

Will freezes. He turns to face me with wide eyes. "What?"

"You heard me." My palms are sweating with a mixture of nerves and anger.

Grayson was right about Will knowing what happened that night but he was also wrong about one thing.

Zach didn't kill Vaughn.

Will stares at me with wide eyes before looking at Ric in panic. "Who is he?! Is he a cop?!"

"I'm not a cop." Ric snarls back furiously and I realize he has come to the same conclusion as I have. "You should count yourself fucking lucky that I'm not either."

Will is starting to panic. I can tell. "Did Zach really send you?"

"Oh yeah, he sent me." I take a step towards me. "He's turning you in."

"What?!"

"Where do you think he is right now? He's at the police station." I take another step forward and Will takes one back.

"No." he is shaking his head furiously. "We made a deal!"

"Now it's our turn to make one." I cut in, using up this perfect opportunity. I hold back my nerves and my fear and try to pretend to know what I'm talking about.

"No." Will shakes his head, he is literally sweating. "I don't believe you."

"Don't believe me? Fine, call him!" I order him but Will stays still. "No? You can even use my phone." I throw my phone at him, Will scrambles to catch it. "Give him a call, I'm sure he won't answer because he's sitting with the cops right now turning you in."

Will does as I say, he places the phone against his ear unsteadily, his hand shaking. His face pales as he brings it back down. "Voicemail." he whispers.

"Sit back down, Will!" Ric orders him and I jump surprised from the roar in his voice. He stays still, looking at Ric with wide eyes. "Sit down!" Damn, he sounds quite menacing for a history teacher. Will nervously takes a seat but he still can't sit still. His leg is bouncing up and down over and over again.

I run my hand down my face before sitting on the coffee table in front of Will who can barely make eye contact. "You killed Vaughn." I state, not quite believing that this is happening. "You killed Vaughn, and then you helped my Uncle Zach set Damon up for it instead."

"It wasn't my idea!" Will immediately defends himself quickly.

Jesus Christ I hope to God Grayson is getting every second of this.

"Okay..." he pushes his messy hair from his eyes. "Zach made me do it!"

"He made you do it?!" I scoff. "You could have said no!"

"I owed Vaughn a lot of money," he swallows. "I owed Zach a lot of money too. Vaughn was going to kill me! I was a dead man walking, this was my only way out!" he is talking fast, in panic and fear. "Zach promised me that if I killed Vaughn he would clear all my debts and even help me set up some place new! Vaughn would be dead so I wouldn't have to pay him back at all and I would have a brand new life debt free with a clean slate. It was a win-win!"

"Win-win!" I slam my fist furiously against the coffee table I'm perched on before jumping to my feet, grabbing Will's collar as I do to pull him up with me. "You set Damon up!"

"He deserved it!" Will screams at me back.

"What-" I shove him back against the wall roughly.

"Stefan calm down!" I hear Ric call out in the background but my ears are ringing.

"He was your fucking friend, Will!"

"No! Damon pretended to be my friend!" Will argues back loudly, I feel Ric grip my shoulder and pull me back. I reluctantly let go of a flustered Will. "He pretended to be my friend and then he set my house on fire and left me to die!"

I stare at him shocked. What the hell is he taking about?

"I didn't want to do it, but I didn't have a choice!" He is practically pleading with me now. He is in a state of full fledged panic. "Zach would have forced me to do it anyway if I didn't accept his offer. I was pissed off at Damon for almost killing me and I knew he would have done the exact same thing to me if it was the other way around and you know it!"

I can't stop myself. I crash into Will furiously, my first raised as I punch him in the face. "You bastard!" I hit him again, Will squirming underneath me, crying out loud in pain.

"Stefan that's enough!" Ric tries to wrestle me off, in doing so we both fall down onto the ground in a heap. I see Will scramble on the floor beside me from the corner of my eye, jumping quickly to his feet and darting towards the door.

"No!" I call out after him but it doesn't matter. He runs into another body and stumbles back.

Detective Gilbert.

"William Kinney, I am arresting you on suspicion of murder and conspiracy to murder. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you."

I sit breathlessly on the ground, staring up at Grayson in disbelief as he cuffs Will and roughly drags him away. I glance back at Ric who slowly pulls himself up to his feet.

He slowly starts to smile and then a small chuckle escapes his lips and I soon join him. We both just continue to laugh. Ric standing up with his hands pressed against his knees while I still sit on the floor beside him.

It's over.

It's finally all over.

I wave Caroline off as she jumps into her car and drives away, it's late, really late and all I want to do is crawl into bed and sleep but just as I'm about to close the door new car lights appear as a familiar car pulls into my driveway.

I step out onto the porch and I watch Alaric climb out of the driver's seat. "Elena," he looks strange…a mixture between excitement, nervousness and worry. "God Elena, you are not going to believe the news I'm about to tell you!" he quickly approaches me and I look at him intrigued.

"What is it, Ric?" I ask a little amused but also slightly nervous. My mind suddenly flashes back to earlier on today and I'm reminded that Ric stayed behind in the police station to help with what happened with Zach and Stefan. "Is everything okay?" I feel nervous.

I feel jumpy.

"Is this about what happened earlier?" I question again quickly before he could answer.

He nods as he reaches me; he places a hand on my arm, a smile creeping onto his lips. "They've done it, Elena." He breathes out, his smile widening.

I look at him anxiously. My heart rate speeding up.

"Done what?"

"We know who killed Vaughn." He says and I gasp. "Who really killed Vaughn." He is grinning now. "An arrest has been made, Elena. We've got his confession on tape!"

"Oh my god." I breathe in shock. "Oh my god."

"Damon's sentence is going to be overturned, Elena."

"Oh my god." I don't know what else to say. My mind is whirling around in a mixture of shock, happiness and fear.

I cannot believe this is happening.

I feel like I can't breathe.

"I don't know if it's going to be a simple case of just letting him out tomorrow because of the other charges but Elena…this is great news…this is amazing news." He lets out a small laugh and I nod repeatedly

My smile is creeping slowly onto my lips and I gasp again when it finally sinks in. A sob falls from my lips and I practically leap into Alaric's arms, he hugs me tightly, another laugh escaping his lips.

I haven't felt like this in a very long time.

The morning alarm rings loud through my ears just like it does every morning. I groan and wipe my eyes.

"Fucking thing, we got it!" my cellmate shouts from the top bunk. "We're awake, jackasses!"

I ignore him; he does this pretty much every morning too. I glance briefly at the picture of Elena hung up on my wall before I turn and climb out of bed.

I go through my usual morning routine before I sit back down and wait for the cell doors to open so we can be taken to the shower block to freshen up. When I'm in the middle of putting on my shoes the sound of keys tapping on the cell door interrupts me.

I look up with a frown, we should still have at least another six minutes left before it's our turn.

"Salvatore," the police guard is staring at me through the open bars. I frown and stare back but don't reply. "Get all of your things, you're coming with me."

I look at him confused.

"Now, Salvatore!" he orders me.

"What's going on?" Kai, my cellmate questions as he jumps down from the top bunk. "Where you taking my roomie?"

"None of your business." The guard replies sternly. "Get a move on, Salvatore! We haven't got all day."

"All my things?" I ask confused.

"Did you ask for a transfer?" Kai questions me accusingly. "I thought we were buddies!"

I roll my eyes at his dramatics. I swear he's a sociopath. "I didn't ask for anything." I stare at him while I reach over and pull the picture of Elena from the wall, I place it on top of the small pile I've made with the rest of my things – which isn't a lot – before heading towards the end of the cell.

"Stand back inmate." The guard orders Kai who huffs before moving back reluctantly.

"You know, I have a right to know what's going on here if this means I'm getting a new cellmate." he calls, sounding the least bit impressed.

The guard ignores Kai as he opens up the cell and grabs my arms and cuffs me carefully so I don't drop my belongings which I'm still holding out in front of me.. He locks the cell behind me and motions for me to start walking.

I try to run over things hurriedly in my head. Did I break any more rules since I got out of solitary? Were they transferring me to a less lenient block or a more dangerous one? Is this just a random check?

Most importantly, who have I pissed off now?

Once we leave the noisy cell block and enter the quieter corridor I finally ask the question which has been on the tip of my tongue since he ordered me to leave.

"What's going on, boss?"

"Your lawyer is here." He explains simply and I frown confused.

I haven't seen my lawyer in three years.

"My lawyer?" he ask baffled.

"Yup. It turns out, Mr Salvatore, that today might just be your lucky day."

I scoff. Oh I very much doubt that.

Well! There we have it! It was Will who killed Vaughn! Let me know your thoughts in a review, don't be shy!

Thanks for reading and thanks again for everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I appreciate it :)

Until next time!