Thank you so much to everyone who kept reading and reviewing! I love you guys :) Enjoy this chapter! There's a lot of Delena romance coming up...followed by some MAJOR angst at the end. Enjoy!

Previously:

Inside his study, Damon was sitting at his desk, his hand curling into a fist as he crushed the sheet of paper from yesterday in his palm.

Damn it.

Elena. She was...she was changing him, in ways he could barely explain. Into a better person. Into someone that cared. Into a person that no longer killed mercilessly, but instead thought about his actions carefully.

He slammed his fist on the desk.

And his feelings for her were changing too.

April 1st (12 days later)

"Honestly, Damon, I'm fine." Elena repeated, slipping out of the bed and heading for her closet. He turned with her, his eyebrows still raised with concern as he watched her search through her closet for something to wear.

"I slept fine." She assured him. "No bad dreams or anything."

It had been 3 or so weeks since Elena had dreamt that Klaus had attacked her, and Damon was still worrying. Ever since Klaus had come a few weeks ago, he'd refused to leave her alone for longer than a few hours. And the fact that she'd had a bad dream again last week wasn't helping anything. When she woke up every morning, Damon would always be sitting in the chair in the corner, his eyes trained on her worriedly.

"You don't have to spend the night in here anymore." She told him, pulling open the curtains to let some light in.

Damon crossed his arms over his chest. "I didn't. I came in at about 5 in the morning to find you thrashing around in your bed, Elena."

She sighed. The truth was that she kept having bad dreams, and she didn't know what to do about it. But telling Damon would only make him worry more, and she didn't need that.

Damon's deep blue eyes trailed over the sunlight streaming in from the window. Maybe it was time he let her leave the house again. Even after last week's outing, he'd constantly been worried that Klaus would snatch her the moment she stepped outside - after all, she was supposed to be dead. But maybe that was what she needed. Some fresh air. A day outside.

"Get dressed." He told her, striding towards the door. "I think it's time you left the grounds again. Meet me at the front door in half an hour, alright?"

"What?" Elena turned to face him, a confused look covering her face.

"Get dressed."

"But I thought-"

"Get dressed, Elena." He shut the door, taking deep breaths as he walked down the hallway. He'd heard her barely-audible sigh when he'd told her she'd been thrashing in her bed that morning. Was she hiding something? Were the dreams continuing? The problem was that Elena tended to keep these things to herself, and it made it hard to look after her.

There was a spot he thought would be good to take her to. Out by the falls - where he'd grown up. It was only a few miles from here, and wouldn't take long to get to. Yes, he'd take her there for the day. Now, all he needed was a picnic blanket and some food...

Half an hour later, Damon sat by the front door, impatiently waiting for her to appear. He'd ordered a few servants to take the food out to the carriage and hide it, along with the picnic blanket and-

Shit.

His mouth ran dry as her beautiful figure emerged from around the corner. She was clad in a small, white dress - casual enough for the day, but beautiful enough to make her look like a snowflake. Her hair was in curls today; falling down her back in long spirals. The collar of the dress dipped down right between her breasts, and he gritted his teeth, forcing his eyes back up to her face.

She looked utterly and completely breathtaking.

Damon turned away, not wanting to be rude and stare at her. Except...she didn't make staring very easy to resist.

"Elena...uh, you look...beautiful..." He trailed off, cursing himself for seeming like an idiot while he stared at his slave.

A faint blush crept into her cheeks. "Thanks, Damon." She took a few more steps towards him, and he quickly turned away, beckoning for her to join him as he stopped out the door. It was rude; he knew he should've extended his arm for her to loop her own through - like a gentleman would. But he was afraid of how soft her skin would feel if he touched it again.

By the time they'd gotten into the carriage, Elena was trembling with excitement. It felt like years since the last time she'd been on an adventure, and she could hardly wait to arrive at wherever Damon was taking her.

Damon was surprised when Elena took a seat next to him in the carriage, flashing him a shy smile before she turned to look out the window.

"It's a nice day." He commented, watching as she nodded, her attention still focused on the outside word. He sighed. Truth be told, he did feel bad about keeping her inside all the time, apart from that one exception last week. But with Klaus on the loose - and the fact that she was supposed to be dead - it was just too dangerous.

The first ten minutes of the ride were silent, and oddly peaceful. They didn't need words, just each other's company to be content.

When Elena finally grew tired of the silence, she turned to Damon, finding that he was already watching her. "Am I allowed to know where we're going?" She asked.

He smiled, shaking his head. "It's a surprise."

Damon held another branch out of Elena's way, ensuring that none of the trees had ripped her dress as they picked their way through the forest. They'd been walking for at least 20 minutes now, and Elena was beginning to feel confused. Where on earth was he taking her?

They were going uphill, she could tell. Her legs were already slightly sore, and the ground was beginning to curve upwards.

They'd gotten out of the carriage right in front of a meadow, where Damon had led her through and into the trees. But what on earth would be so high up that he wanted to show her?

Her forehead connected with a wall of muscle, and she looked up in a daze. "We're here." Damon announced. "The Mystic Falls."

She raised an eyebrow, looking around. So this was where he'd wanted to take her?

"I thought we could have a picnic." He murmured, holding out the picnic basket. She smiled at him.

He knelt down, spreading the blanket out and setting up the food. Hopefully, she'd enjoy this time spent with him today. Well, not that it really mattered. Right?

"It's really beautiful here." Elena whispered, seemingly dazed by the peaceful setting of the falls. Damon nodded.

"I grew up here." He said quietly, his eyes trailing over the water falling steadily down the sleek, black rocks.

Elena looked shocked. "You did?"

"Mhm. 145 years ago."

She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes for a moment. 145 years. So much time and yet so little people to spend it with. After a while, everyone you knew and loved would die, wouldn't they? She could scarcely imagine being a vampire without someone to lean on - it would be a life filled with loneliness. A part of her thought that was what Damon hated the most about it - if he hated it at all. He put on a good show, but there were times when she thought she could really and truly see through him. Did he have anyone in the world to lean on? To befriend? To love?

"Here." Damon pushed the picnic basket towards her, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Eat."

"Are you ever going to stop ordering me around?" She sighed.

Damon smiled. "Maybe."

She watched as he lay back, crossing his arms underneath his head as he stared up at the sky.

"Where did you live?" She asked quietly. He turned his head slightly, his blue eyes boring into hers.

"Not far from here. I lived in a large plantation, with a big, white mansion smack in the middle of it. My family was always very rich - we owned a logging company. I lived with my brother and my father. Well, my mother too. Up until..." He trailed off. "Up until she died."

A pang of sadness hit Elena. Damon could be cruel, and horrible, and a terrible person, but she truly did feel sorry for him sometimes.

Maybe he just needed someone.

Her mind flashed bak to Fell's Church, where she'd grown up. The place they'd passed just the other day. There were so many memories. Her house, her bedroom, Jeremy, her parents, summer picnics, Aunt Jenna's visits, Matt, Bonnie, Tyler...

She shook her head, clearing her mind of the thoughts. She needed to just take this time today to relax, and forget about reality. Forget about the fact that she was a slave to a vampire and that they were breaking the law by having this weird, twisted relationship. Forget about Klaus, the laws, the past...

Picking up an apple, Elena began to eat, her eyes trailing over Damon. He was still staring up at the sky, his blue eyes highlighted against the grass.

"Damon, do you ever free your slaves?" She asked quietly.

He turned his head at the unexpected question, his throat running dry. Was she asking if he was ever going to free her?

"I- when I want to get rid of them, I sell them...I don't keep them until they grow old though, it's too much of a hassle."

Elena pushed down her anger at the fact that Damon sold people just as she had been herself, and instead focused on nodding intently at him.

"Why would you ask me that, Elena?" His eyes narrowed.

She swallowed. "No reason. I was just thinking about things."

Deciding not to press the matter, Damon stood up, extending his hand to her. "Would you like to go swimming?"

She stared at him in confusion. "Swimming? In the falls? Won't it be freezing?" Normally, Elena wouldn't have had a problem with cold water, but considering the last time she'd gone 'swimming' in it she'd been drowning out in that frozen lake, it didn't sound all too great now.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, in the falls."

She hesitated. "Scared?" He teased, and she shook her head, shooting him a glare. Damon sighed.

"Come on, Elena, when are you going to get this chance again?"

Elena stared at his outstretched, waiting hand reluctantly. She'd have to take off her dress. She was wearing a camisole and boy shorts underneath, but still. Swimming? With Damon? In nothing but her underclothes?

She groaned, giving in as he pouted. It couldn't be that bad. Maybe Damon would even help her to have fun.

She followed him to the Falls, their hands still entwined as they made their way across the grass. Elena shivered. The water looked freezing, and yet Damon was already starting to undress. Undress - oh! She looked away quickly, a blush spreading across her cheeks as he took his shirt off. A couple moments later, a loud splash sounded in her ears, and she turned around again, finding Damon surfacing from the water.

"Is it cold?" She called.

"Nope." He shook his head, water droplets dripping off his raven hair.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, knowing that of course it wouldn't be cold to him - he was a vampire. Whatever. She should probably live a little, Damon probably wouldn't let her go out again.

Hesitantly, Elena stepped behind a large tree, her hands fumbling with the hemline of her dress as she lifted it over her head and kicked off her shoes. She left the bundle of clothes in a nearly folded like behind the tree, peeking her head out.

Damon was swimming further across the pool of water, his back turned to her.

Sighing in relief, Elena took this as her chance, and quickly slid in, flinching at the cold temperature of the water.

Her hands slid down to her torso, pulling her camisole further down and tighter around her to ensure that no...unnecessary skin was showing.

"What's wrong?"

She gasped, realizing Damon was now literally right in front of her, his glacial eyes worriedly appraising her.

"So vampires can super speed in the water now?"

He grinned at her. "It's just another thing that makes me flawless. Now, follow me." She smiled at his joke, then slid down fully into the water and swam after him. As they neared the falls, Elena grew a bit uneasy. There was so much water...it was falling heavily, pounding into the pool below...

"There's nothing to worry about, Elena." She turned her head to find Damon staring at her intently. She nodded.

He sped off again, and she groaned, wishing for a tiny moment that she could share his super-speed powers.

"Hurry up." He smirked at her, waggling his eyebrows. She rolled her eyes, hoping it wouldn't anger him.

"The water's cold."

"Yeah, well, if you want to see what I'm gonna show you, you'll have to get over it." He dove under the water, his dark hair disappearing from her sight. She huffed. Stupid vampire speed. Her eyes widened as she watched Damon swim gracefully under the falls...but where had he gone? What was on the other side? Knowing he'd expect her to follow, she took a deep breath and dived down after him. The cool water bit at her skin, but she ignored the cold and focused on swimming in the direction he'd gone.

When she was sure the falls were behind her, Elena rose to the surface, her head bobbing up as she inhaled deeply...and gasped.

She was in the middle of some sort of cave; the walls were made of pure, natural rock. Elena looked around. Growing out of various places in the rocks were beautiful flowers, purple and pink and blue and red. The colours were gorgeous. There was a crack in the foof that let sunlight in, plus the rushing water behind her gave the cavern filled with gorgeous blue water a strangely beautiful glow.

"Wow...Damon, this is amazing." She breathed, still transfixed by the beauty of the alien-like place he'd brought her to.

He smirked. "I thought you might like it."

"It's beautiful."

She watched as he swam around in circles, looking more peaceful than she'd ever seen him. Was this the sort of thing he'd do in a day, while she was working as his slave? Did he really not always spend his days hunting and killing people? Maybe she'd underestimated him.

Damon turned towards her, the water shining on the part of his chest that was showing. He held his hand out to her, and she took it cautiously. Suddenly, she found herself spinning in a circle, the water rushing around her.

"Damon!" She shrieked, laugher escaping her as he spun her around in the water like a five year old. "Stop!"

"Admit it - you don't want me to." He chuckled with her as he slowly let her come to a stop, her body falling against his chest as they both laughed.

Elena's laughter died down after a moment, and her mouth opened slightly as she realized that Damon's warm blue eyes were gazing into her own brown doe ones. She knew this was wrong. All of this was wrong. Standing in the water in a beautiful cavern - in her camisole - with her body pressed against Damon's Salvatore's chest...it was wrong. She knew it was. But for some reason, she couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from his. Why?

"You smell good." Damon murmured, his nose close to her hair.

She raised her eyebrows. "Um, thanks. I put on some fancy perfume you bought me this morning."

"That's not what I meant."

Her heart rate sped up, and she knew he could hear it. Knew he could see the blush rising in her cheeks. Knew he could sense her nervousness.

"It's been a while." He purred lazily.

Her hands shook slightly. "S-Since what?"

"You know what."

Since the last time he fed from her. It'd been...what? Almost 2 months now? More? Less? She was losing track of time while living with him. But that wasn't the problem. The problem was that she knew what he wanted. He wanted to feed from her, to sink his fangs into her neck just as he had done all those weeks ago, and many times before that.

"I...I don't think I...I don't really feel comfortable with-"

"Elena, I'm not asking. I just wanted you to be prepared so you can relax your muscles. That way, it won't hurt. I'll make sure it won't, I promise."

She took a deep breath. Maybe if she got through this fine...maybe that would be a good thing. If she was no longer scared of the concept of being fed from, maybe some of her fears of vampires would go away.

"Promise you'll be gentle." She whispered.

He brushed her cheek. "I promise, Elena."

Elena shifted in his arms, turning so that her back was against his bare chest. He moved her hair out of the way, his fingers skimming her shoulder while she shivered slightly.

"Elena, relax. I promised, remember?"

She nodded, her eyes closing. There was a moments' silence, and then she felt two razer sharp points skimming her neck. Damon's tongue came out, licking at a spot gently for a moment before his fangs sliced into her.

There was a dull sting for a moment or two, and then it was gone. Her eyes flew open, widening. What? It was supposed to hurt, not feel good! And then memories came rushing back to her. The first time Damon had fed on her, it hadn't hurt. She remembered hiding in his room after that stupid banquet, and then he'd found her behind the curtain. Only, it hadn't hurt. It had felt good. Like it did now.

It felt as if every nerve in her body was on fire, only in a toe-curling pleasurable way. Damon's hand was playing with her hair while he continued to drink from her, his other hand wrapping around her waist and sending shocks over her skin through the thin material of her lacy camisole.

When he finally retracted his fangs from her neck, she almost found herself wishing that he didn't have to. Still, his hands never left her waist, her body never moving from his.

"We should get back." Damon murmured. "You look like you're starting to get cold."

Elena's cheeks went pink again. "I've been cold since you made me get in the water twenty minutes ago."

He chuckled. "I guess that's true. Come on." He took her hand, and she took a deep breath as he pulled her underwater with him, propelling them underneath the falls. Ever since her parents drowned, Elena had shied away from water, but today, Damon had made her remember how much she used to love swimming - and how much she still did.

They swam across the pool created by the falls, back to the bank where their picnic blanket was spread out. "Here." Damon offered. "Let me help you out of the water."

Elena bit her lip. "Uh, I'm fine. You go first."

"Come on, Elena. Ladies first, remember? Let me help you out before I get out myself."

"Damon, I-"

"Don't want me to see you in a camisole? Really, Elena? As long as you're wearing panties along with it, you're fine."

"Damon, my camisole's white."

"So?"

"So it's see through when wet." She hissed, embarrassment clear in her eyes.

"Aren't you wearing a bra or something underneath? I hope you are, since I spent a lot of money on those lingerie sets at Caroline's boutique and I thought you liked them."

Her cheeks turned pink at the memory of his blue eyes flashing as she handed him the lingerie she'd picked out. She remembered him eyeing the delicate pieces of lace appreciatively, then paying for it at the counter and giving her a smirk before handing it back with the other clothes.

"I-"

"Elena." He mock-groaned. "Come on. Let me help you out. Besides, little Damon's getting cold now. I need to get out."

Her cheeks flamed red and she quickly looked away. Damon rolled his eyes.

"What? Can't take a sexual joke? Don't be such a prude, Elena." He shook his head, chuckling. She fought the urge to glare at him.

"Fine, help me out. But don't you dare look."

"You know I wouldn't if you really didn't want me to." He said softly. She swallowed.

His arms wrapped around her waist as he swung her up onto the bank, but his head turned away, giving her the modesty she deserved.

Behind the tree, Elena stripped off her camisole - it was too wet to be comfortable under the dress now - and pulled the white lace dress on again, slipping into her shoes and tying her hair back in a ponytail while she put her earrings back on.

Damon had changed on the opposite side of another tree, and when she emerged from behind hers he was leaning against the trunk with a smirk. They walked back up the slight hill to their picnic area, and Elena plopped down on the blanket again, closing her eyes tiredly.

"So the dreams have stopped?" Damon asked quietly, after a moment of silence.

She nodded, sighing. "The dreams have stopped."

"Good." He flinched, remembering the nights he'd laid in bed, waking up at midnight to hear her screaming. He would flash downstairs to her bedroom as fast as possible, wrenching the door open and ending up on the bed with her, her sweat covered body twisting in his arms as she slowly awoke from her dream with terrified eyes. Deep down, he had a feeling that he knew what - who- might be causing it. But he didn't want to scare her, and he couldn't possibly treat her the way he once had to appease someone else. Besides, he could've been wrong. It could've just been her terrible experiences with Klaus that triggered the dreams, not Klaus making her have them.

"Damon?"

"Yes?"

"Have you seen my bracelet?" Her face was worried. "It's the silver one with the blue in it - the one you picked out for me at the boutique."

His mind flashed back to that day again, before she'd gotten kidnapped. He'd held the delicate, pretty piece of silver up for her inspection, offering to buy it as an extra gift, and she'd nodded excitedly.

"No. Did you leave it down at the banks?"

"Maybe." She stood up, smoothing her dress down. "I'll be right back."

"No, wait." He grabbed her wrist. "I'll get it. You just sit down and relax, have a bit more food."

She nodded, sitting back down and rummaging through the picnic basket while he walked down to the hill to the tree where she'd changed. She realized Damon had also packed mini cupcakes smothered in pink icing, and she laughed. She hadn't expected him to want the colour pink anywhere near him, even if she liked it.

Laying back on her side, Elena bit into the cupcake, her right hand toying with her necklace. The truth was, she and Damon really needed to talk about their outing together a week or so ago. Things had really changed on that outing. She felt more comfortable around Damon now than she ever had before. It was like...like he could be her best friend.

Her mind flashed back to the other night, remembering how spending mere moments with him had made her feel relaxed and happy.

Elena sighed, twirling in front of the mirror in the lacy blue nightgown. She had to admit - the thing made her look gorgeous. The lace cups at the top pushed her breasts up and created a high amount of cleavage, and the blue silk that covered most of the short nightgown fit her snugly, showing off the curves she'd learned to hide from Damon's watchful eyes. She should probably have changed back into her usual flannel pyjama shorts and camisole by now, but she just wanted to try the lingerie. It made her feel so...grown up.

Another night to get through. The dreams just kept coming, non stop. The other night she'd dreamt that Damon had put his fingers in...in...well, a place she didn't want them at the moment...but it had hurt. A lot. And she hadn't been able to stop him. The question remained: why was she having these dreams?

The door swung open, and she jumped in surprise, her eyes widening. Damon strode in confidently, then froze in place, his jaw dropping as he stared at her in the skimpy lace nightgown.

"Damon!" She covered herself up with her hands. "Get out!"

"No can do. If I want to be in here, I can. My house, my rules, technically my bedroom, my slave...no offence or anything."

She glared at him. "Great. Can you stop staring at...my...can you just look away?"

"At what? Why can't you say the word, Elena? Your cleavage? I assume that's what you're talking about." His words seemed as if he was speaking in slurs, and she wondered what was wrong with him.

"Stop." She hissed, grabbing her nightgown off the end of her bed and slipping it on.

"Stop what? I'm a man, in case you've forgotten. I'm going to stare."

She eyed him, and it was then that she realized he was holding a bottle of three hundred dollar scotch. "You're drunk. You shouldn't be in here. It's obvious that being drunk causes you to make...far too many sexual references."

"But I wanna stare." He slurred.

"Okay, we've established the point." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Can you leave now?"

"I came in to say goodnight. And to make sure you'll be okay."

"I'll be fine."

"You sure about that?" His eyes searched hers, his gaze turning more serious. Could vampires control their...drunkenness? "'Cause you said that last night, and then..."

She knew he was right.

"Fine. You win." She sat down on the bed, looking at her French manicured nails that Damon had gotten another slave to do for her - even though she'd protested. "I'm not gonna be okay. I'm probably gonna have another bad dream, and..." Her eyes filled with tears, snapping up to meet his. "Stay tonight. For the whole night. Please?"

"Elena."

"I know this entire thing is inappropriate. I get it, Damon. But
I'm scared. I need you. Just one night? When you're here, the dreams don't happen. Please stay tonight."

"I..."

"Please?" Her hand grasped his, their fingers entwining. "I'll even wear this nightgown so you can stare all night long. Please?"

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to stare all night long, I was just appreciating the view for a moment. I'm not that disrespectful to women, you know."

"Except when you're drunk."

"True."

She smiled slightly, watching as he pulled her over to the bed and sat down. "Here." He threw her flannel pyjama set at her. "Go change in the bathroom. They're comfier to sleep in."

Elena's eyes opened again, the sound of a bird chirping breaking her out of the memory. She sat up, realizing that she'd now eaten 3 cupcakes. How much time had gone by?

She turned, expecting to see an amused Damon staring at her, teasing her about her daydreaming. Only he wasn't there.

"Damon?" She stood up, a frown crossing her face. He should've been back by now.

She made her way down to the banks by the Falls, checking behind the trees and half expecting him to jump out with a "Boo!" and scare her. But he wasn't there. He'd gone to find her bracelet, and she'd said this is where she'd left it. Or maybe it was somewhere else, and he was just looking around for it.

A few minutes later, Elena's heart began to pound. Okay, she'd given it exactly 3 minutes. And he wasn't back. "Damon!" She raised her voice to a call, the worry evident in the tone of it.

There were so many possibilities. Klaus. An old enemy she hadn't known about. Or maybe he'd left her out here in the middle of nowhere purposely, so he could get rid of her once and for all...

"Damon?" She called, panicked. What the hell? Where had he gone?

"Damon!"

She spun in circles, her eyes desperately searching the forest for him. Where was he? He would never leave her out here in the middle of nowhere, she knew that. Or maybe he would. Maybe this was what he did when he got tired of slaves; lead them out into the woods and leave them there.

She shook the thoughts out of her head, knowing she was being foolish. He was around here somewhere, he had to be.

Unless something had happened to him...

"Damon!" She screamed, truly terrified now. "Damon!"

"Elena?"

A warm hand instantly encircled her wrist, turning her. A moment later, she was staring into oceanic blue eyes, her erratic breathing calming slightly.

"D-Damon? Oh my god, I thought-" Unable to stop herself, Elena threw her arms around Damon's waist, burying her face in his chest.

She breathed in, inhaling his scent of leather, cologne, and bourbon. She knew that this was entirely inappropriate and that Damon was probably beyond confused, but she couldn't help herself.

Damon stared down at her in shock. Out of nowhere, Elena had literally thrown her arms around him and was now pressing her face into his chest.

"Elena, are you alright? I heard you screaming my name."

"Are YOU alright? I couldn't find you!"

"Your bracelet had fallen the to the water, over by the falls. You must have accidentally left it on when you got in. So I went in and got it." He held up her bracelet, and it was then that she realized his hair looked very damp.

"O-oh. Thanks." She blurted, suddenly feeling beyond stupid. She'd been freaking out, calling his name...

"Why were you screaming, Elena?" Damon stared at her curiously, looking slightly concerned. He looked her over. When he'd first seen her, she'd looked panic-stricken and afraid. What had gotten her so worked up?

"I thought something might've happened to you." She whispered.

Damon's heart jumped. "And?" He asked, knowing he was pushing her.

"And I was worried about you, okay?"

A warm feeling filled Damon's chest; it spread throughout him until it eventually reached his face, and he let out a smile.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Elena was becoming irritated. What was with the 20 questions?

"Why were you worried about me?"

"Because I didn't want to see you get hurt." She huffed. "Now, can we please go back to the picnic blanket?"

She turned, but Damon caught her elbow, pulling her back to him.

"Why didn't you want to see me get hurt?"

"Damon!" Annoyed, Elena tried to pull out of his grasp, but he kept her locked in place. His eyes burned into her own, and soon she found herself drowning in an ocean of blue.

"Why were you worried about me, Elena?" His velvety voice wrapped around her, and she swallowed.

"Because...because I care about you, Damon."

His eyes widened, his hand dropping off hers as they stared at each other. The air seemed to grow quiet; the only thing Elena could hear was their light breathing, and her heart, pounding loudly in her chest. Her gaze shifted to his lips, and she recalled the two times she'd kissed him. Silk. Rose petals. That was what his lips had felt like. She must have lain in bed thinking about those two kisses a million times now. Sometimes she wondered if he did the same. Had they meant anything to him? Because they sure as hell had meant something to her.

She'd realized she cared about Damon the night he saved her from Klaus. She'd been terrified that the older vampire would overpower Damon, and that she'd be forced to watch him die. She knew it wasn't right, but she couldn't help it. Damon had become a large part of her life. In fact, he was the only person she really had now. It was sort of ironic, really. But nonetheless, he was all she had, and if anything happened to him...

"It's been a long time since someone cared about me." Damon whispered, and she looked up to find his eyes shining.

She smiled, slipping her fingers through his. She gave his hand a squeeze, and he squeezed back gently, smiling back at her.

After a minute, Damon cleared his throat, stepping away. The moment broken, Elena felt a blush creep into her cheeks, and she turned her eyes to the ground.

She realized what this would've looked like to any outsider: a slave, her fingers locked with her master's. Probably not appropriate.

Except they weren't in public, they were out here, in the middle of nowhere. There was no one around for miles...but she understood. This - whatever was going on between them - shouldn't be happening, and she knew that. But then why did holding his hand, touching his skin...why did it feel so right?

"Um. We should probably get back." He said, beginning to trudge back to their picnic area. Elena slowly followed, unsure of what the consequences of her latest confession would be once they got home.

The ride home was filled with tension. Elena felt as if she could cut it with a knife it was so heavy. And yet it wasn't...angry tension. Like they were fighting or something. There was tension because they both knew damn well that something was going on between them.

The manor was quiet when they arrived, a few lights on upstairs from where other slaves would be working. A pang of guilt hit Elena as she realized she'd spent the day eating cupcakes and swimming in gorgeous caverns while the other slaves were here scrubbing floors. She'd discuss that with Damon one day. Well, if they ever got close enough to. But she didn't want the day to end on a bad note, so as he walked her through the halls and to her room, she turned, facing him.

"Thank you for taking me out today." Elena said softly, her eyes shining up at him.

Damon's heart thumped unevenly as he gazed at her, managing a weak smile as he drank in her beauty.

"You're welcome." He whispered, turning away quickly so that she wouldn't see the adoration he knew was clear in his eyes.

"No, Damon, I mean it." She grabbed his arm, stepping beside him to look him in the eyes again. "I...I had a lot of fun...so...thank you. For giving me that, I mean."

"You're welcome, Elena." He said softly. Truth be told, her latest confession had left him shocked and slightly out of breath for the entire ride home, and he needed some time alone in his room to process it.

"Will you be alright tonight?"

She smiled, nodding. "Today definitely got my mind off things. I think I'll be fine. But...would you come check on me in a few hours, just to make sure?"

His heart contracted again. "Of course."

They smiled at each one last time before she stepped inside and closed the door. They were like two teenagers, both secretly with a crush on the other and yet neither wanting to admit it. She let out a short laugh as she realized she'd basically just said that she had a crush on her vampire master. Great. Only there wasn't really another way to describe it.

Whatever was going on between her and Damon was a lot stronger than feelings of 'care.'

She changed into her blue pyjama shorts and dark blue camisole, knowing Damon liked this set. Maybe he'd notice when he checked on her later. Laying back on her bed, Elena stared happily at the ceiling, feeling content with her day for the first time in weeks.

Down the hall, Damon made his way to the stairs, cursing himself the entire way. He'd acted like such a fool, like a teenager with a crush on the pretty girl who didn't know how to ask her out. Stupid, stupid. He couldn't have just played it cool.

Wait, what was he thinking? He was Damon Salvatore. When he walked in the room, it was like a chain reaction of panties dropping occured all around him. He shook his head, making his way towards the front door. Maybe some fresh air would do him good.

Damon swung the door open, intending to step outside onto the porch and sit down on the porchswing. Instead, he was met with several pairs of dark eyes.

He recognized the Mikaelson brothers - Elijah, and Klaus. There were other men in blacksuits too, staring at him as if they were trying to figure out how strong he was.

"What is the meaning of this?" He spat.

"My brother-" Elijah motioned to Klaus. "Has informed me of everything going on between you and your little slave Kol bought you a few months ago. Elena, is it? Gilbert? We're here for her. And you, as well. Secret's out, Damon."

Damon's eyes widened in shock. "What?"

And then they were brushing past him in the house, the bodyguards grabbing his arms and holding him back as he watched Klaus and Elijah march down the hall that led to Elena's room.

No. No, this wasn't supposed to happen.

He snarled in anger as he heard a familiar shriek coming from the beautiful girl in the bedroom down the hall. He wouldn't let anything happen to her, he wouldn't.

And then Klaus was in front of him, chuckling cruelly. "You think I didn't know that she was alive? That you have feelings for the girl? That I didn't stay that night and listen as you comforted her in the study? I didn't think you were dumb enough to believe the act, but clearly, I was wrong. And now the girl will pay the price. You can watch as we tear her to pieces tommorow morning."

"She has to get a fair trial first." Damon spat. "Elijah knows that. And so do I."

Klaus smirked. "Maybe. But we both know how it will end."

Damon's eyes widened as he watched Elijah drag Elena down the hall roughly. His heart clenched painfully as he looked her over. She was still dressed in her cute little pyjamas, too much gorgeous olive skin exposed in front of these unfamiliar men. Her eyes were wide with tears and as she looked at him in fear, his heart filled with guilt. This was his fault.

"D-Damon?"

"It'll be okay."

"W-What's going on?"

And then they were both dragged out the door, Damon pushed into the front of the Mikaelson's carriage as he watched with horrified eyes as Elena was gagged and thrown into the back like an animal.

And even as his body pulsed with anger, he knew the horrible things that morning would bring. He watched a single tear escape Elena's eye as the carriage started up, her eyes never leaving his own.

Review to see the next chapter!

Well, this is not good for Damon and Elena. What's going to happen now? Where is the government taking them? Review to find out - I have an epic chapter coming up!

I hope you guys enjoyed the romance between Delena this chapter! But there had to be some angst for the plot to keep moving. This next challenge in their relationship is going to be super tough for them both - watch what happens at the end of next chapter. Damon's got a tough road ahead, as does Elena.

Get ready for the next chapter - leave a review to see it! I want to reach my goal of 1000 reviews soo badly, lol :p

~DelenaRain