Is This Hell?

A few once foolish men part 2

Elena walked into the parlor in the boarding house just as Damon put on a jacket to leave.

"So, the plan worked." Damon smirked as he looked up at her.

"Thank you, Damon, for your help." Elena smiled at him, her voice sounding like she had been smoking and drinking for years.

"You're very welcome." Damon looked cocky but had a glint of something vulnerable in his eyes.

"I talked to Bonnie and her Grams and they have agreed to help us open the tomb." Elena informed him as she fiddled with her scarf.

"I thought you didn't want to involve the Bennett witch?" Damon asked then frowned. "What's with the scarf?"

"I was going to ask Bree to help us with the tomb actually but Bonnies Grams said that it would be better and easier for a Bennett witch to break Bennett magic or something like that." Elena shrugged.

"And the scarf?" Damon asked again when it seemed like Elena wasn't going to answer.

Elena slowly pulled the scarf away from her neck to show the hand shaped bruise around her throat, "Seems like a lot of people have a thing about choking me." She shrugged with a small chuckle. "I mean choking during sex might be fun but that would at least be consensual."

"Why didn't Stefan give you his blood to heal that?" Damon softly touched her neck.

"I didn't show him at first and then I forgot about it until I started talking again." Elena looked down with a shrug.

"You can have some of my blood if you want." Damon hesitated, like he expected her to turn him down because he wasn't Stefan.

"That would be appreciated." Elena smiled gratefully. "Thank you."

Damon bit into his wrist and held it out to Elena who grasped it gently and took a couple of mouthfuls.

"Are you ready to get Kathrine back?" Elena asked as they walked out of the boarding house together a few minutes later, still having that niggling feeling of having forgot something important when it came to Kathrine.

"Definitely." Damon smiled brightly with excitement and picked Elena up bridal style to vamp-sped them to the woods.

When they arrived, there was a party in full swing and Elena hummed. "Right, the Duke party, I forgot."

"Worried Kathrine will eat them?" Damon smirked at her.

"As long as she leaves my friends and family alone and is discreet, she can go for it." Elena shrugged and then she smiled as Caroline and Matt walked up to them.

"Hey Elena." Matt smiled.

"Hello my emotional support bitch." Caroline laughed and hugged Elena then she stepped back and intertwined her fingers with Matt. "Where have you been?"

"Long story, no time to tell it." Damon said.

"I can tell you tomorrow if you want?" Elena smiled at Caroline in happiness as she subtly nodded at Carolines and Matts hands in approval.

"We haven't met." Matt held out his hand towards Damon. "I'm Matt."

"There's a reason we haven't met, Matt." Damon muttered as he gently grabbed Elenas arm and started to pull her towards the old church. "You and I are going this way."

"Sorry my dudes, but I seem to have other plans." Elena laughed as she was pulled away from Caroline and Matt.

As they arrived at the church, they heard Bonnies Grams ask if Stefan was sure that Damon and Elena would come.