The Only Exception

Warning this story contains graphic sex, rape, sex with a minor, blood play . . . the works! The pairing is Damon/Jeremy Slash! If you don't like it go away. Thank you! ( : Enjoy.

These characters are not mine!

Chapter 25: Forgiveness

Damon's POV

The fucking bitch!

I had expected such a thing from Elena, maybe even Stefan but not her.

I could still feel the aftermath of the agony in my body, slowing me down as I ran home. I stormed through the front door, making my way to my room in seconds. I tore away the last of my clothes, turning on the shower and stepping underneath, not caring that it was cold.

Every muscle in my body was tense, primed to kill but I held back. I'd let her try and explain before I ripped her apart. My ears rang, the torturous noise seemingly never ending. I knew she was a liar, would try and tear us apart. I should never have trusted her.

Once I was sure I wasn't going to murder anyone I got dressed and set off to finally go torture that witch.

I stormed in through the door, almost pulling it off it's hinges with my force. The house was dark and the sun had already set but I knew she was there, she never left the house.

I followed the sounds of the fast beating of her heart, giving away that she knew I was there. I found her curled in the corner of her study, a small lamp illuminating the pages of a book she had quickly abandoned.

Her skin glowed in the light as it illuminated her features as she was first confused by my dramatic appearance, then ready to defend herself. I wasn't stupid enough to attack, laying a hand on her would be suicide and any kind of move to get the upper hand would result in her deflecting it with magic. Instead I stalked in, watching her warily as she stared in shock into my coal black eyes.

"You tricked me." I snarled, too wound up to play any kind of game, to act like the deadly, indifferent monster. We knew where the other stood, that fighting wasn't in our best interests.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Bonnie countered, standing to face me.

"You know fucking what! Are you trying to separate us? Use everything I confided in you against me? Because if I don't get answers right now you're going to wish you never crossed me." I threatened darkly, meaning every word.

"I didn't do anything!" She denied, stepping closer to me as she faced me down. "Whatever happened you can stop this shit right fucking now or I am gonna make sure you're not biting anything for months."

Usually I'd at least listen to her, being a witch she was one of the few creatures in Mystic Falls that actually had a chance against me but I was furious and not her denial or even a threat would make me back out. I just snarled back, struggling to not attack, not to touch.

"Then why did Elena just attack me with one of your fucking 'inventions' to keep me away from him? How could you let her do that?" My anger was growing and if I didn't get an answer soon heads would start rolling, regardless of who it was, until I got answers.

"Just stop a minute, Damon. You're upset, I understand. It's understandable but you need to think before I tell you anything. You not in a good state of mind right now but I want to help. I'm not here to hurt you but I just need you to hold my hand, that's it. No funny business, I swear." She cooed softly, shakily holding a hand out towards me.

The glint in her eyes was suspicious and I knew she could beat me in any situation. She knew all my weaknesses and she was planning something. Before she could do anything I ran forwards, grabbing her by the neck and pinning her to the wall.

"I trusted you." I hissed, gripping tighter on her neck. "You've destroyed that."

"No I haven't. I've done nothing." She reasoned, trying remain calm in her position. "I'm your friend, I don't want to hurt you or Jeremy."

"You can't prove it."

"You're pinning me to the wall, you could snap my neck any second and I wouldn't have a chance to protect myself. Right now I could do a huge range of awful things to make you sorry for threatening me. Instead I'm trusting you, I know you won't. You've changed Damon, just don't let this anger rule your head."

My hand fell away as I contemplated the desperate words, finally taking in everything that was happening. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to pull myself together. I looked up at Bonnie to see her watching me in worry. I was losing it again.

"I need to protect him." I whispered, using the wall as support as shock hit me.

"I know." She replied, slowly coming close to me and taking my hand. "But I trust you and I know you'll manage this. You just need to take a deep breath and think about this."

As she said it I could feel the relaxing presence from her touch, helping me to relax. The anger was still there, thundering inside me, needing release but I managed to hold it back.

"I'm too dangerous." I whispered, the guilt overcoming the need to attack. "I can't protect him from myself."

"You don't need to. You're safe, you'd risk your life to save him. I know it." She gently said back, perfectly calm and controlled and understanding. Trying to diffuse the bomb that was me.

"I don't understand why you have so much faith in me." I choked out, only just managing to stay stood as weakness flooded through my muscles.

"Because whenever I see your future or Jeremy's future you're both there. And I have never felt so much happiness. I always trust what I see and want to protect that."

I looked down at the hand grasping mine, wondering what secrets she knew that I was yet to find out. "Then why did you help Elena?"

"She was scared, Damon. I was trying to help her feel safe so maybe things would get better by themselves. I don't want anyone to feel threatened." She tried to explain as quickly as possible before I interrupted her in my fury.

"You thought she wouldn't go after me? Try and stop this? She hates me and will not stop until my life is a fucking misery. I gave her the chance to kill me and instead she hurt me as best she could out of spite. I wish I could do the same." I spat at her, anger once again overcoming and convincing me to hurt and destroy.

Bonnie tried to remain calm as she held her ground against me, the hand that wrapped itself around mine holding tight. I could feel the strength of the magic that was flowing through me as she searched for a response but I didn't pull away. Even if I was reluctant to admit it, I couldn't let this carry on and the witch was the only one that could fix this. I needed a truce with Elena and no matter how much I hated the idea, it was for Jeremy.

"Damon," She said, dragging out the word. "People do crazy things in fear, especially when trying to protect their loved ones." She told me, obviously not talking only about Elena.

"I guess they do." I sighed, once again forced to agree to her logic.

"And they should be forgiven, because they're trying to do what they think is best. Even though they may have done something very drastic. Elena did what she thought was right, what she believed she needed to do to keep Jeremy safe, just as you did."

"What she did was foolish! I would never put him in harms way like that." I disagreed.

"She did what she thought was right. What she believed was the safest way to prevent Jeremy from getting hurt. She doesn't know anything, you can't expect her to understand what's happened to you... Especially after the number of times you hurt and deceived her. You need to talk to her and make her understand. She'll listen, I promise." Bonnie tried to convince me.

"I never want to talk to her again." I spat back in anger before I pulled my hand away from her and disappeared out the door.

I didn't stop running until I was outside Jeremy's house once again. I didn't know what I was doing, if I was going to risk another moment with Jeremy or if I was going to take the witches advice.

The sound of my phone told me it was already decided and I growled lightly as I read the text from Bonnie.

'You really should talk to Elena.'

"Well here goes nothing." I muttered to myself, taking a deep, calming breath and silently disappearing into the house to face my nightmare.

Fuck. I couldn't do this, I couldn't do this.

The quiet snuffle of a crying teenager reached my ears. I really couldn't do this. I should have turned around, forgot that I had ever heard the cries from the corridor. I was there to make a stand, not comfort her. I didn't know how to deal with crying women.

I hesitated for a long moment, not knowing what to do. I could leave, do it another time when I don't have wet tears and runny noses to deal with as well but it might be a good time to confront her.

Despite how much I wanted to turn around, I carefully opened the door and walked in as silently as I could. It didn't help me avoid being seen immediately. The crying girl was sat on her bed, a pillow held to her chest as she glared at the opening door.

"Wrong room." She whispered, the words sounding weak as she sniffled and attempted to compose herself.

"He doesn't know I'm here. I only came to see you." I said, not knowing where to start.

"Well fuck off then. I thought I made that message very clear."

"I know you're upset and you deserve an explanation." I said, trying to stay calm and sensible.

"And you deserve to die. I wish I'd done it when I had the chance." She spat, rejecting what little hospitality I had to offer.

"Things have changed... I've changed. Please believe me." I tried one last time, reigning back the hurtful comments and anger that threatened to surface.

"That's what I thought. I actually thought we could trust you but you betrayed that. You think you can ruin my brother and make him forget everything just so you can fuck him?"

"It's not about that- Listen to me. It's different and I don't know how to say it. I'm feeling things and I can't stop it. I can't turn it off any more and I feel so much regret for everything I have done and it's all because of him. Jeremy is so important to me."

The crying had got worse and I stood there awkwardly unsure of what to do. Eventually I shuffled closer, perching myself on the end of the bed.

"Are you okay?" I asked hesitantly.

"You're fucking my brother. What do you think?" Elena responded with a sob.

"I care about him, it's not just sex. That kinda just happened. I've been trying to keep him safe."

"Why?"

"I feel responsible for him, everything bad that's ever happened to him is my fault and I want to make it right. I want to protect him and make him happy and make his life better."

"Oh my god... you don't expect me to believe you have feelings for him, do you?" She asked, looking at me in shock.

"Elena... I love Jeremy." I choked out, instantly surprised at the words that crossed my lips. "I don't know how or why but I couldn't live with myself when I lost control around him. I've never felt so much guilt. I wanted to die, for those feelings to stop destroying me. But it makes it better knowing he's happy and safe. I can't believe that he actually wants me too or that this has happened but please understand that I'm not trying to hurt anyone."

"I can't trust you." She whispered, tears streaming down her face and being captured by the pillow. "You've hurt us too many times."

I shuffled closer, managing to wrap a comforting arm around her. We sat in silence for a few moments as Elena gathered her thoughts. I could only wonder what was going through her head. I knew she hated me and that she wanted to protect Jer from me from me but maybe, I could convince her otherwise.

"You really have changed." She whispered after what seemed like hours of silence.

"It's seems so crazy. Sometimes I don't even recognise myself." I agreed.

"Because you hurt him?" She asked.

I nodded, not wanting to expand but it was true. That awful night was the trigger for everything in my life since and it had brought me to this moment.

"I believe Bonnie. I think you are safe."

"She said that?" I asked in momentary shock. I hadn't thought for a moment that she would have stood up for me.

"Yeah, she said you were only protecting my brother... That you two were together." She said.

"It's true, we sorta even made it official. I spend a lot of time with Bonnie at the moment. Having these feelings for the first time in decades is harder than it sounds. She's helped me to control myself, get past all the emotions I've been avoiding." I said, daring a smile.

"I can't believe this. You don't even feed off other people? No sex or attacking?"

"Nope. I've been clean for months now."

"If I'm going to trust you I want one thing off you." She said carefully.

"What is it?" I asked, already presuming it was something like don't touch him or bite him.

"Don't hurt him like that again. I was so worried about him and I didn't know what to do and I was so scared." She shared, opening up to me for the first time in a long time.

"I will never harm him." I promised wholeheartedly, knowing I would never do anyway. It was an easy promise to keep.

"Well then, don't keep him waiting, then I'll have to kick you out for being a lousy boyfriend." She managed awkwardly.

I walked out of her room, excited enough to skip as I entered the one next to it. Jeremy looked up from his laptop, confused for a moment before smiling in relief.

"You're okay." He sighed, jumping up and pulling me into him. "I was so worried."

"I'm fine. It was only one of those noises that I had to get away from. I didn't get hurt." I reassured him, my arms wrapping around his solid chest.

"You should go." He whispered to me. "I don't want you getting hurt again."

"It's okay, I talked to Elena and we've come to a bit of a better understanding than before."

"Wow, how did you manage to talk her down?" He asked half jokingly.

"Don't worry, she's slightly less homicidal. We had a nice long talk about ughh... feelings." I muttered, pulling a disgusted face.

"You like tapping in to your emotional side really." Jer teased.

"Not with your sister, she's scary. Only you." I sighed, gently pressing our lips together in a slow kiss.

"So long as everything's sorted. No more hiding from her or having her follow me around." He said as he pulled back, pulling us both onto the bed.

"Nope, but let's not push our luck."

"Wow, sensible Damon. I never thought I'd see the day." He joked.

"Anything for you." I answered smoothly. "Shall we get ready for bed?"

"I like that idea." He agreed with a smile.

Soon we were curled up together on the bed, my arms holding Jer's perfectly naked body. The absence of the worry of being foiled by Elena was freeing. I could finally relax and hold him and sleep.

"Goodnight." I whispered into his neck, kissing gently.

"Goodnight." He replied, holding me tighter for a second. "And thanks... for sorting it and stuff."

"No problem." I muttered sluggishly, falling asleep seconds later as I was comforted by the knowledge that my dreams would be peaceful with Jeremy at my side.

Yay, another one! I know no one's really following this any more but I hope someone enjoys reading :)