Hello all! It's been too long. Thank you, thank you, to the lovely reviews of this fanfic. ;) They make me smile. I adore each and every one of you for replying and subscribing. So, basically, this is part two of Elena's fate. Lots of you guessed correctly who it was. I had to throw the idea around a lot of who it could be, but the choice is obvious. Love you all, next update should not take as long. Xo It has some warnings too, so careful ;) & Thank you to my beta, I could have not done it without her.

The broken clock is a comfort, it helps me sleep tonight
Maybe you can't stop tomorrow, for stealing all my time,
And I'm still here waiting, or do I still have my doubts?
I'm damaged at best, like you already figured out.
I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing, with a broken heart,
That's still beating, in the pain, there is healing. In your name-I find meaning.
So I'm holding on.

Elena stayed frozen as the demon ranted on about revenge. "Derek, let me go. I will make sure you don't get away with this!"

"Your father always let me have the promotions I wanted, and now you are going to let me have everything I want. Damon is not going to get in the way this time. I'll be done with you before that scum finds you. If he ever does," he growled re-tying the cloth tighter around her mouth.

Her eyes trailed down to the floor, almost to the point of giving up. No one was going to come and save her. He's right; Damon will think it was a trap. It's over. Tears ran down her eyes, as he kissed her neck, trailing not missing one spot. She cringed at the goose bumps from fear.

He tightened the ropes that were surrounding her making her wince. "You being a fighter are making my expectations harder. We're going to fix that." Derek groaned in frustration. He wasn't getting his way with her. Derek's main goal in this operation was to hurt Elena the worst he could think of. His strength was weakening Elena in every quick move he would pull on her.

Derek made sure she would suffer, and she did.

He untied her body from the chair, finally throwing her to the ground, sending her against the wall. Her feet and hands were still bounded making it impossible for Elena to even think about escaping. She ached, closing her eyes feeling the pain of Derek. His revenge was so far beyond life now. It was malicious. Derek was far beyond life now; he was dark and didn't care what the next action would be. The more heartless he was, the more he didn't feel a thing.

"Come on, fighter, fight me. I know you can," he challenged Elena wickedly. He forcefully kicked her again as she yelped in pain. Elena was planted against the wall on the ground weaker than she had ever been. He grasped a handful of her hair, pulling it tightly as he grinned, lifting her barely off the floor. Elena cringed again, and then he roughly drops her.

He removes the gag and pulls out a knife from his pocket. Elena viewed his intentions with discretion. "Please, no. Don't hurt me. What do you want from me?" She muttered as he sat her body up. As he touched her she cringed. She couldn't stop feeling so afraid of life. Her eyes were full with never ending tears.

"Have you not heard one word? I always get my way, and plus, I just love to hear you whimper, not being able to hide behind your savior. That is what Salvatore means, am I correct?"

Derek was right, and she hated him so much for being right. He saved her, in every possible way he could. It wasn't just freeing her from a demon; it was what Damon had done for her. He was saving her company, but saving her from herself too. Work had trapped Elena in one state of mind, but since he came along, things had changed. She loved life, and she wanted that future. T

The only thing she could think of was if she was going to make it out alive. Survival was the key to her seeing the next day of her life. He was brutally hurting her in every way possible: physically and mentally.

He walked over to her, and kicked her in the stomach as she gasped as he kept inflicting pain on Elena.

"You know how to kick someone when they are down, don't you?" she muttered trying her best to sit up.

"Of course, I do, Elena…" he chuckled, as he took out a knife out of his pocket, and ran it slowly up her dress, slicing it along the way, as blood ran down her leg.

Damon ran through the reception as fast as possible looking both directions for Elena. He glanced up seeing Caroline. "Caroline!" He screeched. His voice was stern, and in that tone, he made sure everyone knew he meant business.

Caroline's eyes grew as he locked eyes with her. "Damon, you're still here!" Caroline exclaimed with excitement walking over to him.

"Where's Elena?" he muttered bitterly. This was probably a set up. She didn't love him. Love was never kind to Damon. It was a joke, just like the rest of the people Damon got close with.

Caroline was speechless, as she tilted her head to speak. "I thought she was with you."

"She's not. She hasn't been since when I came."

Caroline shook her head and spoke again. "Elena ran up to me and told me she was going to go get you, then head to the reception…"

His eyes furrowed. "What?" Even though she was nowhere to be found, Damon still found the reason why he still needed to keep looking for her. Something had blocked her path, but what? He shook his thoughts, and nodded. "Thanks, Caroline."

As he reached the fire exit, he was stunned by another hall of doors. He listened to each, throwing the doors open, until he came to one that was locked. Out of the ordinary, he broke the handle, snapping it off the hinges.

He threw his body against the door, causing it to open. The doors flung open making a loud noise as they hit the walls behind them. It was dimly lighted, raising suspicion. Damon stepped in the door quietly. He breathed softly, as he glanced around for any clues of the out of the ordinary. He heard soft sobbing close to the middle of the room. There she was, helpless, and scared.

His eyebrows rose as he fell to the floor next to her. He had never been in this predicament, but he felt her pain, and for once in his life: Damon hurt. "Elena. Shh, I'm here. Don't worry," he sighed breaking the bounds with his bare hands. Elena glanced up, seeing a dark shadow behind Damon. Her first thought was to run, but that was quickly ignored.

"Damon, watch out!" She screamed in agony, as Damon turned around quickly then moving himself and Elena out of harm's way.

With anger in his eyes, Damon stood up. He pointed a finger in Derek's direction, "You again."

Derek chuckled humorlessly. It was almost psychotic. "And I almost got away with the revenge too… But someone has to play superman."

Damon rolled his eyes, clenching his fist. "And is that a problem, Derek—me playing the hero? I don't play the hero. But you far beyond have crossed the line."

Derek laughed. "Come at me then, Salvatore. You promised to kill me right? Well, let's see that promise fulfilled." He was teasing Damon, and Elena saw every bit of it. The pain he had caused her, and the verbal slurs he was throwing at Damon.

"You're drunk, Derek. I'm not going to fight you."

"Coward," Derek rebutted.

"I'm a coward? Wow," Damon egged on Derek's insults. He smirked carelessly. Damon walked towards him, lifting his chin up. "No rebuttal?"

"You're a coward, Damon Salvatore. The shark of this business world; the one everyone is afraid of. Because when Damon Salvatore comes knocking on your door, something is about to crash and burn."

Damon chuckled, "And your point is? Please get to your point. I can't wait to hear it."

Derek shrugged playfully. "You are letting a girl ruin that. Soon you'll be nothing to be scared of; soon you won't be the shark."

Feeling challenged, Damon walked closer to Derek only inches from his face. "Do I scare you? Is that what this is about? Are you scared I will kill you? Or are you scared you won't see the light of the day again? Maybe it's the fact that you are harming an innocent girl, just to get back at me. That makes you the coward."

Derek forcefully threw a punch at Damon, but was quickly blocked by Damon's quick reflexes. Damon's firm grasp was tight around Derek's fist. "Am I wrong?" Damon murmured coldly.

He was mum, and Damon knew he had gotten under Derek's skin successfully. Damon scoffed, grasping onto Derek's shirt. Damon pulled out his iPhone, shoving Derek against the wall, holding him in one place. "W-What are you doing?" Derek stuttered with fear.

Damon's eyes were mischievous and extremely harsh. "Finishing you, what I should have done the day you hurt Elena." His rage was consuming him. "Jett, Its Damon Salvatore. I need you to take care of some business for me. Oh yes, they will be needed." Damon dropped Derek, and threw him forcefully against the other side of the room into a stack of folding tables. "You better run," Damon spoke through his teeth.

Derek's eyes were full of terror, as he tried his best to get off the floor, as Damon followed in a normal pace. He was too fast for Derek, but quickly Derek found a getaway, and exited out another door. Damon cringed, and ran after him. As he gained speed, he caught up with Derek quickly, as they reached the reception hall.

Suddenly, in the middle of everything, Derek was trapped between Damon and his friend, Jett. Damon smirked, "Scared yet?"

As they removed their actions to another part of the building, Damon and Jett ganged up quickly on Derek causing him to drop to his knees. Everything after that was just a blur. Soon from the back of the exit, the police had arrived, and Derek had been taken away.

Damon's eyes were full of despair, watching them take Derek out of the picture. He was soon knocked out of the feelings and quickly made his way back to where Elena was. Damon pushed the door slightly open, enough to slide through. He gazed at Elena, and breathed out. The utmost pain jabbed him in the chest. She was leaned up against the wall, still sitting on the floor.

Walking to Elena, he stopped right in front of her, squatting down on the floor. "Come on," he sighed helping her off the floor, leading her into the nearby bathroom. Damon sat her on the counter and smiled softly. He pulled a few paper towels from the dispenser, and ran lukewarm water onto them. Damon knelt down in front of her, and began to clean off her stains, and scars. He wiped off the blood, trying his best to get it off her dress. His eyes trailed up gazing at Elena, who was detached from her surroundings.

"He's taken care of Elena. Prison won't be kind to him," he reassured her. Elena was dead quiet. Being abused was something new to her. The vicious crimes that were committed gave her a reason to doubt she's never safe. It had been hell on earth since Damon left.

"How did he get in?" Elena mumbled.

Damon shrugged. "Who knows really, 'Lena? He probably knew the ins and outs. He most likely knew exactly what he was doing."

It wasn't the most comforting statement, knowing how Derek was a mastermind at these stupid games he continued to play. It was wicked, and cynical of what Derek was capable of doing, and it put fear in Elena. She was terrified. His eyes were softened, trying to put hope into her. "Do you want to go home?" he whispered.

Elena shrugged not quite sure of her plan of action. She wanted to, but her dedication to Caroline's wedding kept the thought of leaving subtle. He finished wiping the blood off, hoping she would say something different. The connection between the two was stronger than ever right in that moment. As much as she wanted to push him away, she couldn't find the strength to do it.

Through the trials and tribulations of their rocky relationship, things had changed. Things really had changed. Damon was her hero. Someone who wanted to control and kill off worn out businesses showed his warm heart. He had one. Damon was an expert though, of hiding it well.

"Are you leaving after this?" she murmured.

The words struck him. He furrowed his eyebrows once again, and sighed. "I probably should, I still have plenty to do..." Damon's eyes were full of grimace. He knew full well that was not the answer that Elena wanted. "Would you like to come with me?"

Her eyes were dull, not full of life like usually. It was sad; the heartbrokenness had taken over Elena. She lifted her head and squinted, then practically fell over her words. "What? Damon—I can't—my company—I need to work."

He rolled his eyes, cocking an eyebrow with a chuckle. "You are something, Gilbert. You just got hurt, and you are already planning your next business meeting. Elena, you have got to give it up. There are plenty of people going to take care of it. When is the last time you have had a vacation?"

"Spring break in California with Caroline after we graduated," she mumbled.

His eyebrows furrowed, but putting his full attention on Elena.

"It was before my Dad died; I had just got my degree in Culinary. It was a hobby of mine, and I lost it; after that phone call."

Damon lifts up and unable to speak. He clears his throat, and muttered softly, "What phone call?"

"Caroline and I had been in California for 3 days. We were preparing our whole vacation, not knowing what life would come to," she started off, wiping her tear ducts with a tissue. "I was so excited about the future, then I look to my phone, and it reads 'mom.' I wasn't sure why she had called; Mom was never one to call unexpectedly, especially after I talked to her and Dad when I arrived in California. So, I answer the phone, and mom is frantic. I don't know what is happening, and before I know it, I'm booking a flight to New York to find my mother held up in her bedroom, crying and disoriented. She had her own job. Mom loved her passion for children. Mom was a nurse at the local children's hospital, while Daddy's passion was his publishing company—which then fell in my lap. It was either throw the company out the window, or stand on my own two feet and go for it, and dedicate my time to this company. Even if it wasn't in my book of things to do before I die."

Elena's voice was raspy in parts. She broke up in lines, as she thoroughly explained how the world she landed here in this career. She didn't want it—none of it.

Damon listened carefully, continuing to stare into her eyes as he took in her life story she never shared with anyone.

She shrugged. "So I took it. I ran with the company, and I did great. Caroline needed a job while she was awaiting her opportunity to knock on her door. I was happy with my decision of keeping the company alive, and then some time down the line, I lost hope. I saw my dreams shattering, and so did the company with how I felt. Not only was the economy a killer, my head wasn't in it. Correction… My heart wasn't in it. I thought it was over. And it was—in my eyes. Then I get a phone call from the secretary of a prestigious company, offering me help, and then you came knocking on my door."

"So you've never had a vacation, or a…in this discussion, a life? Your whole life was dedicated to your Father's passion, but here you are at 25, still trying to find what you dream of every day," Damon whispered. His voice was calm and tranquil. It was a side of Damon she adored. He cared. His love was wholesome.

She could only shake her head in this moment to agree with his simplicity choice of words.

"Then let's go have fun at the reception, and go on a vacation. I have to work, but I can always make time, Elena. I've done it enough in my lifetime," he smiled picking her up gently, and setting her down on the ground.

Reviews are lovely Xo

song at the beginning is "Broken" by lifehouse ;)