She was having a restless night. She tossed and turned in her sheets. It felt like she was drowning inside her parent's car all over again. She had a pit in her stomach of some foreboding which refused to let her sleep.

She opened her eyes and looked blankly at her ceiling, giving up on sleep.

Just then she heard a creaking sound somewhere inside the house and she briskly sat up. "hello?" she called out. When nobody answered she went to check the doors. "Jeremy?" She walked inside the hall way but there was nobody there.

She sighed deeply, placing a hand on her forehead. "God." With closed eyes she walked back inside her room and when they opened, screamed.

Alaric stood right in front of her, black veins around his eyes. He didn't take long. He went straight for her neck.

She sat up, drenched in cold sweet, shivering, her breathing labored. Her hand immediately reached over her neck but it was still intact. No traces of blood or any struggle.

She glanced over her window and saw it slightly open, the night's breeze making the room colder. She supposed that answered her question for being cold.

Pulling her legs out of her bed she went over to close the window firmly shut. After glancing down towards her neighbour and making sure nobody suspicious was lurking around, she sighed in relief.

She turned around to walk back inside her bed when a hand flew out towards her mouth to muffle her screams and another wrapped around her head. She watched wide-eyes at the image from her nightmare and willed herself to wake up.

"Let's have a little chat."

They got out straight from her window, her still in her pajamas. She felt herself shiver from both cold and dread of what was to come to her. He had her trapped firmly in his grip and she had no idea where were they going as he went in his vampire speed.

After a few disorienting images, they came to an abrupt stop. He let her go but when she tried to run, he immediately appeared in front of her.

"What do you want from me?" she spat.

"I told you, I wanted to have a chat with you." He made a predatory circle around her and she shivered under his gaze, but kept her head held high.

"And you had to take me from my home in the middle of the night for that?"

"You know, since I don't have the infamous Salvatore rings, night is the only time I can make appointments."

They were outside some kind of abandoned building in the middle of nowhere. Dread set deep inside her stomach that no matter whether she got away or not, she had no idea how to get back. She had nothing on her, not even directions.

"What's this place?" she asked despite knowing how silly it was to expect an answer.

He ignored her and just went to open a wooden doors which opened a bunch of tools at his mercy. She swallowed when he saw his fingers linger on a few axes.

"If I die, you die too," she reminded him in shaky voice.

"I'm not trying to kill you," he replied casually. She couldn't help the small hope grow inside her.

"No? Then what is your plan?" she pressed on cautiously. She looked around, trying to find any kind of object she could use if proved necessary but it appeared everything was gathered in that one small place Alaric now occupied.

"I decided that it would be more fun to mess with every each one of your little freaks friends."

She gulped nervously, desperately trying to hide her inner fear under the nonchalant mask. "And how're you gonna do that?"

"You keep asking a lot of questions. It's getting annoying." His eyes darkened and she bit inside her mouth to keep herself together. He loomed above her, his eyes dilating. "You will keep quiet and answer only the questions I asked. Do you understand?"

She swallowed tightly and tried to put a glazed expression on her face. "I understand," she said in monotone and sighed inwardly in relief to have managed to not give herself away.

Alaric nodded at her and turned around, going back to search whatever he was searching to begin with.

But then she heard the words which made a shiver run down her spine.

"I suppose I should test the theory first." He spun around to face her, his face giving no deep interest or care in her. It hurt to see a person who became a big part of her life look at her like she meant nothing to him.

She followed his gaze as his eyes cast upon her wrist and with a brisk move she was yanked forward. He took her wrist in his grip and she prayed she could mask the fear she was feeling but then he started bending her wrist in awkward angle. She could taste blood inside her mouth from keeping herself from having a neutral expression but he went just that bit further and she couldn't take it anymore.

She cried out in pain, trying to yank her hand out of his grip.

A low, dark chuckle left his mouth and she glanced at him with watery eyes.

"Thought as much. You're wearing vervain." He pressed his face closer to hers and she tried to turn away from him as he inspected her. "Now where could it be… " He trailed off thoughtfully. "Ah!" he then suddenly exclaimed. "But I knew that already. It's inside your necklace. The gift of Stefan Salvatore."

She cast a hateful look towards him. "Then why did you bother compelling me?"

He smirked at her. "It was fun to see you try. Pretending that it doesn't hurt. But it hurts, doesn't it? After all humans are that fragile."

She averted her eyes from his, refusing to look at the haunting image of her guardian. She had to keep telling herself that the man everyone loved was gone for good. And everything that was in his place was an unfeeling monster.

She felt a harsh tug on her forearm and the cold air, mixed with air pressure made her hand tingle again and she hissed in pain, another hand circling around her, now already starting to swell, hand.

He bent over to rummage around tools and after a while stepped aside. Showing off pliers in his grip. Elena shook her head.

"No, no, Ric, please. Don't do this," she pleaded, looking at him desperately but he ignored her and held her tightly in his grip, stopping her from moving around.

Then she heard the click on the metal and felt it fall beside her feet.

He was just getting back to enjoying his solitude with bourbon, after having to account for Liz about not killing the twelve council members in an explosion, which he still considered a win, and let her being taken away by some new guy in town. He named him Mr. Busybody Guy. When another busybody came inside the bar.

He guessed it shouldn't really surprise him that her first words were: "Did you do it?"

"That seat's taken," he indicated with his finger when he saw her starting to sit down right next to him. He was really not in the mood for a second round.

She frowned. "But there's no one here."

"Well, I'm just going to pretend like there's someone there, because the alternative is just too damn depressing." He gave her a fake-smile. She put her lips together and just went around his seat to sit on the other side of him.

Just great.

She looked around before whispering. "Did you set off the explosion that killed the Town Council?" she asked in a serious voice.

"Am I wearing my "I Blew Up The Council" t-shirt," he asked sarcastically. "Why does everybody keep asking me that?"

"Did you?"

"No," he pressed on the word. Dammit, talk about having faith.

"Good," she breathed out.

"Why? Because there're still some vampires left for them to put in the zoo for kids to see?"

She gave him a look. "No, because you've been hurt pretty baldy just recently and having a hand in something like that so soon would be asking for it."

He frowned, his eye twitching in a grimace. "What is this?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to avoid his gaze.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"You sure as hell know what I mean," he exclaimed and she shuddered inside, trying to meet his eyes head on. "Your exaggerated care for my health. Even since the deal with Klaus you have been going at it non-stop."

She bit her lip, letting out a disbelieving chuckle. "What, I can't care whether you're hurt or not now?"

"No, you can't," he dead-panned, looking at her straight in the eyes.

She bent her head in a sigh. "Damon, that's taking it a bit too far, don't you think?"

"No, I think you're taking it too far, Elena." He clenched his teeth, looking at her with vulnerable expression. He was so focused on her solely that he missed registering his strength he put on the glass he was holding and the next moment it shattered.

A gasp came out of her mouth but he only looked at the shards indifferent.

"Oh, man," the barman saw the commotion and tried to say something about it but before he could, Damon locked his gaze with his and compelled him.
"Nothing's going on here. You keep working as you were."

The man blinked a few times and went off.

"Damon," Elena sighed after witnessing the scene.

"What?" he snapped, looking at her in a tight-lipped smile.

She opened her mouth to say something but then her shoulders sagged as she gave up. "Nothing."

"Good," Damon said sarcastically and turned away from her.

She glanced at his hand in the pool of shards and blood and she tentatively reached out for it.

"What're you doing?"

"I'm just trying to see if you're hurt." She turned his hand around, pretending to be clinical about it.

"I'm fine," he said tightly and took his hand away from her. The farther he's from her, the better it's going to be for his sanity. It was time he thought about it.

"Damon."

"Will you stop it?"

Her brows furrowed. "Stop what?"

"Pretending that you care, pretending that it's your duty to check if I'm hurt or not." He looked at her with sort-of-angry expression on his face, but she couldn't say for sure if she didn't find something desperate about it too.

"Damon, you're being irrational right now."

"Irrational? How about you? Either you care or you don't, Elena. There's no middle for that."

"You're my friend, Damon. I care about my friends." She locked her gaze to his, trying to get it through him that she really sincerely cared for him.

He clenched his fist on the table, swallowing tightly. "Well maybe I don't want to be your friend anymore."

It felt like all oxygen left her body at his words. "Damon, you can't be serious," she whispered in a shaky voice.

He bent his head in a thought and without giving one more word, left her alone by the bar.

Matt and Elena were laying out memorial pamphlets on the rows of benches in the church. She supposed it was as good distraction as any. Damon was out of hand. Whatever issues he has with her, they could get past them. It was him who was being unreasonably stubborn.

She let the pamphlet fall harshly on the bench, being the cause of her dark mood.

A chuckled reached her ears and as she looked up. The warm eyes of Matt were looking at her in amusement. "What did the pamphlets do to you?"

She gave him a reassuring smile. "Nothing. It's nothing, just Damon being…" she trailed off and Matt raised an eyebrow to her.

"Forget it. I don't want to talk about him. I'm just going to enjoy my volunteer work."

"Well, I still don't know why you insisted on us doing this," Matt said.

"People dead, Matt." She sighed.

"Well, they were the people that tried to kill Damon and Stefan. Not to mention the bullet you got yourself."

"I know, I know that, but… they're people we've known our whole lives. So I kind of had to come pay them my respects. They're dead now after all. Can't exactly do more damage."

He shrugged. "Suppose not."

Her gaze travelled towards the front of the church and her eyes widened a bit.

"Is that?"

"April Young. Yeh."

"Oh, wow." She kept staring at her intently until she made up her mind. "Do you mind if I-"

"No, it's fine. I'll take over from here." Matt smiled at her reassuringly and she went off to talk to April.

She sat down next to April and greeted her even before she noticed Elena coming over. "Hey there."

April jumped a bit but then turned around and relaxed when she saw Elena. "Hey. Long time, no see. Not since…"

"My parent's funeral," Elena helped her out.

"Yeh." She nodded hastily.

April looked shaken from the whole ordeal with the Council. It was strange watching death from human perspective again. She was always made sure to bend her morals and accept death more easily than that. It was the only way to not loose your mind when you live with vampires nearly twenty four hours a day.

She scooted closer to wrap her arms around April in a comforting hug. She supposed she needed that because as soon as the contact came she seemed to relax a bit more.

They pulled apart. "Are you gonna survive this? I heard they asked you to speak."

"Yeh… but I don't know what I'm supposed to say."

"Hey." She put her hand on April's. "You say what you want to say or don't say anything at all. They can't force you."

April gave her a small smile "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Elena gave her a smile back and cast her gaze on her wrist. She had metal bracelet around her wrist, with sharp pointed ends all around it.

She reached out to touch the edge of it. "That's an interesting bracelet," she said in a whisper. She didn't know why she found it fascinating.

"A bit unusual for my taste, I know." April chuckled softly. "I thought it would give me strength if anything."

Elena forced herself to lift up the corners of her lips, pretending to listen but all her attention was on the metal. She brushed her fingers more firmly around the pointed edge and then pressed it firmer.

A gasp came from somewhere near her and she looked up to see April looking horrified at her. Elena furrowed her brows but then saw the cut on her finger, a small droplet of blood coming out her finger.

"Oh. Oh, sorry, must have used too much strength." She hastily put her finger away from the bracelet, sucking in the blood.

April only looked more uncomfortable. "I shouldn't have brought such sharp objects with me. It's not like we need more funeral."

Elena smiled at her good-naturally. "It's fine. Look, see? It's already healed." She showed her finger around where the blood had already stopped dropping from.

April still had doubt in her eyes but Elena only squeezed her hand in reassurance and stood to walk off, giving her a small wave as she went.

She tried to get her beating heart under control as she went further away from the girl. She had no idea what had just happened.

She plastered cold water on her face and neck. She needed the cold to make her calm down because she was seriously over-thinking things. It was like she was seeing danger or enemy at every corner nowadays. She breathed in and out deeply. Her reflection in the mirror didn't necessary boost her confidence, though. She looked slightly pale and fatigued. But it was not enough of an excuse to skip the memorial.

She sighed. She was starting to think that Matt may have been right and all this was a bad idea.

When she reached the main hall of the church, everyone were already in their seats. She found one seat reserved for her next to Matt and Stefan a seat further. She swallowed. Things with Stefan were still more rocky than tolerable but this was neither the time nor place to get on with it. She made her way to sit down.

"Hey," Matt greeted her with a tender smile.

"Hey." She tried one of her own but she was sure it didn't look just as bright. She glanced over to Stefan but he just nodded to her and quickly turned away. It hurt to see that they came down to this. She turned her gaze away from his too.

Matt's brows knitted together. "You okay?"

She nodded hastily. "April was looking for you. She wanted help with her speech," he said.

"Where's she?" She looked around but couldn't see the girl anywhere.

He only shrugged and went to look ahead.

A moment later Mayor Lockwood came inside the church and went to stand at the podium, preparing to start the memorial.

"Before we begin the Mass, we'd like to open the floor to anyone who would like to share a memory about our late friends on the Town Council. I know that April Young wanted to say a few words about her dad. April? April, are you still here, honey?"

There was a commotion inside the church as people tried to look for or wait for April to come up but she was nowhere in sight. With a sigh Carol continued, "Is there anyone else who would like to share a recollection or a memory about Pastor Young?"

Finding no indication that April was gonna show up, Elena stood up.

"Come on up, Elena," Carol called out with a smile.

She managed to not sway to the sides as she went and she supposed whatever had came over her before must have passed. Carol squeezed her hands and let Elena approach the podium.

"I, um, when I talked to April earlier, she was kind of nervous about coming up to speak," she started. "And... Now that I'm up here, I'm kind of nervous, too." She let out a nervous chuckle and saw a few sympathetic smiles directed her way. She bit her lower lip and after collecting her thoughts, continued, "The worst day of loving someone is the day that you lose them." She gripped the sides of the podium and absently brushed one hand against the harsh surface.

"What makes it hard is the fact that..." she trailed off, when she saw something dripping from the ceiling right towards the holy water bowl. What looked suspiciously like blood. And the rigid postures of her friends, only confirmed the fact. She swallowed tightly. "Is the fact that no matter what happens from now on... you won't see them again," she finished in a whisper and her hand slipped from the edge of the podium, breaking her skin a little as it went.

"Ah," she winced. She looked at her hand and the feeling was starting again. That force which made her head spin around.

"Um," she breathed in and out and was on the verge on fainting when she felt two strong arms circle around her and walk her away. "It's okay. I got you. I got you," Stefan's soothing voice reached her ear and she looked at him in a pained gratitude.

He walked her back to her seat. "Someone has April, don't they?" she asked quietly and Stefan nodded with a grimace. "A hunter."

Her eyes widened. "Oh my God," she breathed out.

"We can't get caught. Just pretend that nothing is wrong," he quickly added.

She nodded hastily.

"Are you gonna be okay?" He looked her over with a worried look.

She sighed deeply. "Yeh. I'm, um..." She closed her eyes, breathing out. "I've been feeling a little faint all day. But I'll be alright. Thank you." She smiled at him reassuringly and he nodded with a small smile of his own, going back to sit in his own seat.

"You sure you're okay?" Matt asked her.

She kept nodding at him and he let it go.

The truth was, she was not completely okay. Whatever had possessed her earlier was coming back full force at her and she had to grip the edges of her seat to keep herself in position. She started taking deep breaths in to keep herself calm while the memorial continued on.

Her vision started to blurry as her nails dag deeper into the wood. She scrapped the material as the urge, for she wasn't quite sure what, hit her strongly. She only knew she was desperate.

She wasn't sure what was happening around her anymore, her only thoughts were to get it over with. She started scratching the bench more intently and finally found a sharp edge where the splinter started. Her fingers instinctively wrapped around the piece of wood and she tried getting it out but it wouldn't budge. She huffed in frustration. Matt gave her a side-way glance but she ignored him and he went on to watch the memorial.

She gulped and tried again, this time more discreetly. Her whole body was frozen, only her fingers digging deeper and deeper until she felt the piece loosen out and it finally came out. She wrapped it inside her slender fist and sighed in relief.

She took the edge of it and lightly brushed it against her tight. At first she only felt a shiver of anticipation but then she wanted more and she let the piece cut inside her skin. It somehow made the ache, the need inside her lessen out. But only for a moment so she had to repeat the process for a few times.

She was in some kind of trance where she couldn't think properly anymore.

But her daze dissipated when she felt warm liquid run down her leg. She felt her heart beat picking up. Her left hand still had the splinter firmly in her grip and when she felt herself involuntary dig into her skin again she was in full panic mode.

"Elena?" Matt's concerned voice reached her ears. She was breathing heavily as she turned her head to look at Matt with wide-eyes. Immediately picking up on her state, Matt rushed to ask. "Elena? What's wrong?"

"…my leg…" she crocked out.

"What?" He furrowed his brows, not yet getting it.

"My leg," she whispered more firmly and glanced towards Stefan who already had his full attention on her wound. He was already trying his best to fight the blood lust by smelling April's blood all over the church, now adding her injury so close to him, it was just almost too much.

She gasped when she saw him change for a second but he quickly got it together, glancing away from her. She saw how his fists gripped the edges of the bench in deathly grips and winced.

"Elena, what're you doing?" he gritted out through his teeth.

She grimaced. "I don't know. Something's wrong with me. I can't stop it."

Matt went to grab her arm to yank it away from hurting herself more but it was like her grip was stone-rock. She hissed quietly when the splinter moved deeper inside her.

"You can't get caught. God, why's this happening now?" She closed her eyes tightly shut together and willed herself to stop the madness. But it done nothing good.

After what seemed like forever, Stefan whispered in a low voice. "Get Damon."

"Already wrote him," Matt said simply and Stefan gave a curt nod.

Her heart swelled at the thought of having an excuse of seeing him again. She knew it was wrong to want something from him yet again, especially when they were at odds, but she couldn't help the need for him to tell her it's gonna be okay, because so far, she for herself wasn't near enough.

She swallowed tightly and tried not to move.

A hand reached her on the shoulder and she gasped out, her eyes flying wide in fright but then they settled on the blue orbs.

"Shh." He pressed his finger on his lips and indicated for her to scoot over. She looked at him desperately, trying to point out the puddle of blood she was creating below herself but he ignored it and went out to move her. Matt assisted in moving her and she clenched her teeth tightly to not cry out.

As soon as his body sat down next to hers, she finally saw what he was up to. His body was a lot larger and wider. It made her whole body melt in his, hiding from the view.

She looked at him desperately when she felt her hand move again. "Damon, I can't…"

His brows furrowed and he nodded in understanding. He locked his eyes with her and moved close to her, leaving barely any space between them. If his intentions were to paralyze her for a moment, then he surely succeeded. She watched how he then affectionately brushed a string of hair from her face, watching her with tender eyes and then bent over. She didn't know what to expect but when he pulled away she saw a cut on his palm, which rested upside down on her collarbone. His eyes drifted towards it, indicating for her to drink.

She gulped and reached her right arm to wrap around his neck to make it look like lovers embrace. She knew she was probably doing more scandalous things than she could count but she also didn't expect others to understand the silent understanding she had with Damon.

She scooted closer to him, putting his palm between their bodies and slightly bent down to take a sip from it. His left arm was brushing soothing circles on her back as she drank. When she pulled away, she saw his wound close up. He placing his thumb on her lower lip, brushing the blood away as he licked it away, never letting his eyes fall from hers. That made her swallow tightly.

She thought her heart would jump out of her ribcage when he leaned in once more but this time went past her shoulder, his head resting on the side of it.

"Embrace me," he whispered huskily.

It took a while for her to understand that it was a command meant for her not for the intentions it made her feel. She felt his hands tug her hand free from the splinter and she hastily placed it around his torso. Making sure her hand went on the inside of his black jacket for the blood to not be visible. She trembled slightly when he took the splinter out and buried her face in his neck. He brushed his finger gently over the wound and his blood in her system quickly healed the wound.

"Donovan," he called out and passed the piece of wood to him, who quickly hid it.

Damon straightened out a bit, still having one hand on her back and staring at the other which had slight blood on it.

"Crap," he cursed under his breath.

He felt Elena start to stir again, her heart rate picking up and he knew the symptoms would soon resurface.

"Look, I'm taking Elena out of here. You take care of the hunter somehow. Can't have them both in one place," he whispered to every vampire present in the room and heard a few "okays".

"But what's going on with her?" Matt asked quietly.

Damon grimaced. "It's Ric."

"He compelled her?" Matt asked in disbelief.

She gasped. "But I still have my vervain necklace on."

"And even if you didn't, you wouldn't know that now," Damon said quickly. "Stefan."

His brother turned to face him and you could see his struggle in both blood lust and rage of seeing the scene play out.

"It's fine," he only said. "You take care of Elena. We'll deal with hunter."

Damon swallowed tightly. "Okay," he breathed out. "Come on, let's get you out of here," he whispered to Elena and moved her to stand up. She wobbled a bit on her feet but he managed to hold her. Her bloodied hand was wrapped under his jacket as he had one of his own around her middle and another inside his pocket.

He nodded slightly to everyone, making sure to excuse them and walked them both out of the church.

to be continued...

The evil Alaric strikes again! Heh. Anyway, would be nice to hear your thoughts on this ^^