Chapter 5 – The Ultimatum

I backed away slowly realizing what had really happened. I just stared through the open window at her. Caroline looked scared. Before I knew what happened, Katherine was beside me. She grabbed the back of Caroline's jacket and threw her into the tree line. I screamed no as she did it, but I didn't even get the word out before it happened.

Katherine grabbed me by the arm, opened the door and pointed to the passenger seat. "You can either go quietly or I can go visit Caroline." She smiled as she looked at me, already knowing what I would choose. Rolling my eyes, I got into the car.

"Katherine, I really don't know what you hope to accomplish here. What do you want?"

"Elena, seriously I don't know what he sees in you. You are dull and naïve. It took virtually nothing to make you believe Damon was the bad guy. A little car crash and you came running. " she laughed. "What I want.." she spatted angrily as she dug her fingernails into my leg, "is for Stefan to realize what a mistake he made. Then I want to hurt him in every possible way for the rest of eternity."

Tears came to my eyes from the pain and I screamed. As much as I didn't want to, it was too much for me to keep in. Katherine smiled, realizing how much pain I was in.

We drove for hours through the countryside. There was nothing, not even a gas station for miles. There were signs for small towns but I had no idea where they were. Even if I could somehow get a message to Damon, I doubt he would even come. It's not like I have managed to give him the benefit of the doubt since I've known him. I sighed out loud.

Katherine turned down a dirt road. It was pitch black outside. There were lights in the horizon. It looked like a city. That was really the only light there was. We pulled up to a cabin, fashioned out of wood with a stone foundation. It was small and unimpressive. It was just the type of place where you could murder someone and get away with it because there was no one around for miles.

"Get out and don't try to run, because then I'll just have to kill you sooner." She said without any fluctuation in her tone.

I got out and walked towards the rickety looking door. It creaked as Katherine pushed it open. She walked in and lit a kerosene lamp on the table. The room was pretty bare, with a couch, coffee table, dining room table and two chairs. There was a stone fireplace on one wall. She walked towards the fireplace, threw some firewood in and lit the fireplace.

"Sit." She glanced back at me.

I felt like a dog. I slowly took a seat at the table. She turned around, tilting her head to one side and walked towards me. She pulled some duct tape out of a kitchen drawer and started taping my arms to the chair arms. I read a trick to escaping duct tape, however, it was if your arms are duct taped together, so that was an impossibility right now.

Katherine walked away towards a door beside the fireplace. I could barely see a light coming from the doorway when she opened it. She then disappeared and I heard her walking down steps to what must be the basement of the wood structure. I heard her laugh, then I heard a loud grunt.

Wait! Was that…Stefan? I listened again, straining to hear anything that would help me determine what was going on. I could hear him responding to whatever torture she was putting him through, then I would hear her laugh at him. This went on for about an hour and a half.

I heard her footsteps on the stairs again. I sat up alert. "Well Elena, that was fun. By the way, Stefan says hi." She smiled and tilted her head to the side. I've deduced that as her very evil, taunting look as if she knew how horrible she was going to be.

She walked over and yanked the duct tape off my arms. It didn't hurt exactly, it was just more shocking than anything. She grabbed a handful of my hair and started dragging me towards the door. When we reached the door, I kicked my leg back and grabbed her as hard as I could and shoved her forward, she went tumbling down the stairs. I screamed as she took a handful of my hair with her down the stairs. I slammed the door shut and dragged the couch in front of it. Not that it would stop her but it might slow her down. I picked up the chair and slammed it against the floor, grabbed the sharpest piece of wood I could find and ran towards the door. My feet hit the dirt outside and I frantically looked around for the most cover. I ran towards a field with planted corn. The corn was pretty high so I thought it would offer some cover. I ran for ten minutes in the direction of the city lights that I saw earlier. Then I heard it…"Elenaaaaa, you can't hide. I'm going to find you and when I do its going to be so much worse than it would have been."

I had no idea how close she was to me. I just kept running. I stopped for a second. I was breathing really heavily. Katherine would be able to hear me. I didn't hear anything though. I decided to take a moment and rest. I hoped I was still running in the right direction. It was impossible to tell as the corn was too high and all I could see was the sky above me and corn in every direction.

Damon's POV

"Damn it!" I had no idea where she went. I had searched every street in Mystic Falls. I'd searched every café, store, and gas station. I was walking down the highway, back towards the Boarding House and I heard a groan from the side of the road. "Elena?"

I ran towards the noise. I looked down to crumpled up body with blonde hair. "Caroline, " I whispered to myself. I picked her up and carried her back to the Boarding House.

When we returned, I laid her on the couch. She started to stir. "Whaaat happened?"

"Well blondie. You were in a car accident, caused by Katherine I would guess. Then you and Elena stupidly decided to leave. Then I found you on the side of the road. So anything you can remember would be extremely helpful right now." I stated matter-of-factly.

Her eyes came into focus. She looked at me with an incredibly puzzled look. "Katherine" she murmured as if she was trying to recall who that was. "Katherine!" She sat straight up. "Katherine took Elena…at least I think she did. She kind of threw me towards some trees."

"Thanks for the update. That I already knew. Do you have any new information? Like the kind of car? Or what direction they were headed?" I said sarcasticly.

She looked around in her crazy blondie way…"mmmm no, I don't know which way they went but it was a white car. An old one."

Rolling my eyes..."Ummm yeah okay…an old white car…that narrows it down Blondie." Sighing I turned around. Damn, I thought to myself, no leads, nothing. How do I find someone that can't be found? Lightbulb. Everyone needs a Bennett witch.

Okay, I sighed, this will go over well. I rapped on the door. Bonnie opened the door, glaring in her witchy way. "What Damon?"

"I need your help…" before I could finish, she started to slam the door in face. I thrust my foot in the door. "Bonnie, I need your help to find Elena. Katherine has her." She slowly opened the door.

"Damon, this better not be a trick." She glowered at me.

"Bonnie, it's not a trick. I promise…I'll be on my best behavior." I gave her my best quirky one eye smile.

"Okay fine. Come in." She turned and walked towards the living room. She grabbed a map off the table on her way. I need something that is connected to Elena. I handed her the shirt that was at my house. It burst into flames. Ooops I thought, hope she didn't need that. The fire only burned one location on the map. I picked it up.

"Thanks Bonnie. I owe you one." Using Vampire speed I left. Rupert, Georgia…where the hell? It's pretty bad when I have never heard of a town. It was just outside of Columbus, Georgia and very small so it should be pretty easy to narrow down where she is.

A few hours later, I arrived in what had to be the smallest town on the planet. I drove to the intersection on the map and saw a small shack off the road. I could see the city of Columbus in the background. I got out of the car, leaving it parked along the side of the road, deciding it would be better to walk. As I approached the shack, I was caught off guard by Katherine running out of the door. She was very intently running after something or someone and didn't even notice me. Well that's convenient. I watched for a few more minutes to make sure it wasn't a trap.

As I slowly approached the one room shack, I heard a muffled voice. I opened the door and peeked inside. I spotted a door on the other side of the living room, carefully opened it, and peered down into a very dark basement. All of the sudden, a loud groan floated up the stairs. I rushed downstairs, and in the darkness I spotted a figure hunched over, its arms shackled to a stone wall. Was it Elena? I ran to the wall. No! It was Stefan! I pulled the chain out of the wall. He was definitely vervained. Damn it. I decided to take him back to the car.

"Stefan! Where is Elena?" I whispered.

"Elenaaaa, corn, Katherine." He gargled.

Ohkay. I have no idea what that means. I picked him up by the arm and made my way up the stairs, checking around every corner on the way. We made it to the car with no interruptions. Somewhere off in the distance I heard a faint voice. I shut the door…"Elena".

I ran with vampire speed to the back of the cabin. Corn! Okay, that makes more sense I thought to myself. Great, I thought to myself, how am I supposed to find Elena in this? Then I heard it, a slight rustling in the corn stalks. It was very faint, but audible. I ran towards the sound. The sound was getting louder and louder. I cleared some stalks to see Katherine holding Elena by her neck.

"Katherine!" I yelled. I startled her, she was so intent on Elena that she didn't hear me coming. No easy feat startling Katherine Pierce. I grabbed her by the arm and threw her from Elena. She stood up, smiled her half crooked smile and took off towards the lights of Columbus.

I turned to look at Elena. She looked up at me. "Damon, I'm so sorry."

"Elena…shhhh…it's okay." I started before she could finish. "I'm just glad you are okay. " I picked her up and carried her towards the car.

We arrived back at the car, Stefan was still passed out in the back, weak from the vervain. He had been hopped up on human blood for months before Katherine got a hold of him, I smelled it on him when I found him. I opened the car door and gently placed Elena in the front seat. I could still smell her on my clothes as I walked around the car.

As we drove home down the long highway, the lines in the road blending into the night, I thought about the last century. I thought about how much I loved her. How much she used us both. Her coy little games of seduction. I thought about the pain of finding out that she was alive and avoiding me, piecing together all the bits of information that I put together over the years. Tracking her, trying to figure out the heartless abyss that is Katherine Pierce. It was no easy puzzle to put together. Then I thought about Elena, her only crime being somehow related to Katherine Pierce. She was unfortunate enough to drawn into Katherine's world of crazy. The hours passed slowly until I pulled in the driveway at the Boarding House.

Elena and Stefan both stirred as the car came to a stop. Once I put Elena on the couch, I went back to the car to get Stefan. I put Stefan in the cell in the basement to dry out. I looked at my brother lying on the cold floor. I shook my head and walked towards to the steps to the main floor.

Elena's POV

My head was pounding against my skull. Omg! My body hurt so much that I could hardly pull my head off the couch to look around. I was back at the Boarding House. Damon. Damon had rescued me from Katherine. Damon. My heart was so confused. My feelings were undeniable, and the more I found out the more I just wanted to be part of him.

He sauntered into the room. "Elena…I thought I heard you stirring."

"Damon." I just stopped. My feelings were overwhelming me. My voice was stuck in the bottom of my throat. I just couldn't formulate the words.

He walked towards me, looking me at very intently as if I was the only girl in the world. He gathered me in his arms and held me tightly to his chest. "Elena" he said so softly that it was almost a whisper.

I looked up at him, his blue eyes pulling my every thought into his soul. I tilted my head up, stood on my tip toes and kissed him passionately. We collided into a fury of ecstasy, both of us melting into each other as if we were going to consume each other. He grabbed the back of my head and pulled me even closer to him, our tongues sliding in and out of each other's mouths. I felt as if I was being transported to another dimension. I couldn't think straight. I didn't want to think at all.

I ripped at his shirt, the buttons popping off and flying everywhere. His hands were furiously caressing me all over and before I knew it my shirt was off. He leaned down and kissed my clavicle. His breath was hot against my skin. I could feel the excitement welling up in me. I tilted my head to the side and I could feel his mouth tracing the side of my neck, kissing and sucking as he made is way up and down neck and shoulders. I could feel his hand on the front of my bra, he yanked it with such force that it literally ripped from my body in two pieces. He held me against the wall with one hand as his mouth moved towards my breast and captured my nipple in his mouth. I let out a gasp. He started sucking on my nipple, gently biting in between. Then he pulled away and gazed into my eyes.

"Elena."

"Damon. Please don't tell me you want to stop. I want you Damon. I want you right now." I looked at him with unbridled lust in my eyes.

The sides of his mouth were drawn up in a crooked smile as he looked deeply into my eyes. "No Elena, I was going to ask you if you wanted to retire to a more comfortable room." With that he picked me up in one motion and headed towards the stairs, drawing me into a long kiss the entire way up the stairs. He put me down just inside the threshold of his massive room and started shedding what was left of his shirt, still kissing me in between.

I was tugging at my jeans to get them off. Trying to shimmy them down as I ran my hands over the entire length of his torso. I threw my head back in a moment of passion as he grabbed my breast with his left hand and squeezed. He backed me towards the bed. I could feel my knees give way as I fell backwards in a smooth motion. He landed on top of me, still kissing and caressing my body. His hands went down towards my legs and pushed them up towards my chest as his head floated down between my legs. I immediately felt a flush of embarrassment rise in my cheeks as his tongue found my center and started tasting my essence. It was almost too much. I was writhing and grinding against him. I could feel the heat in my body rising to a boiling point. His tongue was licking and sucking at my most sensitive areas. My clit was on fire and I felt like I just wanted to explode in his mouth. He was holding my legs apart and grinding against me. He started kissing his way up my stomach, pausing to suck each of my nipples until he reached my mouth. "Oh Elena. You have no idea what you do to me." He leaned up slightly and looked down on me. I could feel the entire weight of his body as he once again drew my mouth into him.

He held me tightly as he entered me. His cock was thick and hard. It slid along the inside of my body, pulsating with each thrust. I could feel the tension in his body as he continued to drive his cock into me over and over, all the while whispering about how much he wanted me. He drew back and put his hand on my throat. "Elena, do you feel that Elena? Do you feel how much I want you baby? "

I could hardly speak as I hoarsely responded "yes…I can feel it Damon." As his body became rigid, he grabbed a handful of hair and yanked my head back. The pain tore through my head as he held me there perfectly still. I dragged my nails down his back. I could feel myself giving into the feeling that was growing inside me. My entire body started pulsating with him as he grunted loudly as he released into me.

We lay there for a long while in complete silence, my arm draped over him. He exhaled and pulled me closer to him. "Elena," he said, "kiss me." I reached up and softly kissed him on the mouth. I looked into his eyes. "Now sleep. It's been a long day."

I closed my eyes, never feeling safer.