I think I thanked everyone for their reviews but if I happen to miss you then I'm sorry and thank you :) We get to see a bit more of Damon this chapter, find out some of what's going on in that gorgeous head of his and I'll tell you a little bit more about him! I hope you enjoy.

Thanks to notenoughpotter for ironing out my mistakes!

"You are not supposed to be here, Damon" A familiar voice floated in the brisk morning air but only seemed to bounce off of Damon's tormented shell.

Damon stood, motionless, his cerulean eyes burning into the sacred steps, steps that would lead him to the doors of heaven but he was forbidden to enter, cast down to the depths of hell for all eternity. Katherine was his executioner; it was she who had led him to this fiery prison and after his spontaneous meeting with her in the alley a few days prior he was left utterly confused.

He replayed their reunion over in his mind and suddenly found himself bursting with rage. His nostrils flared and his icy lips pursed in bitterness. He had sacrificed everything for her, the air in his lungs, the soft hum of his heart, the warmth of his skin and the blush of his cheeks, he had killed in her name but it was all for nothing.

Once transitioned, Katherine had rejected him, forbid him from seeing her and carved out the life she so desperately craved. He had felt betrayed, a fool for love, blinded to see that he was a mere pawn in her sadistic game. He had willingly played along, desperately trying to tempt her back into his arms and remove the veil that society so strictly cast over its women. He yearned for them to be together so they could roam freely as predators of the night. But now, for the first time in the year since he had turned, he saw clearly. She was a liar and an expert manipulator. She was gone, lost in a world that had rejected him.

Damon swallowed thickly, his veins bubbling with a whirlwind of emotions. His eyes studied the solid oak door and he prayed for the courage to enter. He was hesitant, reluctant to move, feeling the eyes of God burning into him, judging him for foolishly choosing the wrong path, something he would have to live with for eternity.

"Damon." The familiar voice repeated and finally broke through to his thoughts. He felt a hand grasp his shoulder and he quickly spun to meet his assailant. The blue tinge of his eyes tainted a blackish red and crimson veins webbed down his cheeks as his razor sharp ivories pierced his gums. A hiss reverberated from deep in his throat as his hand snaked torturously tight around the neck of the stranger.

"Ric!" Damon's voice elevated in surprise and his vampiric features faded as he released Alaric from his deathly clutches.

Alaric clawed as his throat trying to ease the burn created from Damon's vice like grip.

"Father Saltzman to you." Alaric adjusted his collar and rolled his eyes. "What are you doing here, Damon?"

Damon and Alaric had been friends for a few years, the one good thing to come out of his father's meddling. Giuseppe had sought help from Alaric, urging him to befriend Damon and keep him on a righteous path so that he could later groom him to take over the family business. At first they had hated each other. Damon did not see the value of religion after the things he had witnessed on the battlefield and he despised his father for forever thinking him unworthy and constantly trying to force him onto a path he did not wish to take. Similarly, Alaric, although a man of God, hated Damon. He was reluctant to give his time to a man he thought improper, troublesome and disrespectful. But, as fate would have it, opposites attracted and after many forced meetings an unexpected friendship developed, Damon sparking some fun in Alaric's strict routine and vice versa. Their bond had been slightly strained since Damon's transition but Alaric took his vow seriously and had worked hard to "love thy enemy" believing he could help Damon overcome the evil and darkness.

"Can a man not seek refuge at his church? Or ask advice from his priest?" Damon arched a brow, a smirk curling onto his smug lips.

"Of course, but you are not a man, Damon, you are a vampire."

"I see you have not lost your sense of humour, dear friend." Damon rotated his ring around his slender finger.

"I see you are still paranoid." Alaric shot back, his features contorting somewhat as he glanced at Damon's reaction.

"She lied to me, Ric." Damon bowed his head and scuffed his shoe in the dirt.

"Who do you speak of, Damon?" Alaric appeared slightly puzzled.

"Katherine. By chance I saw her roaming in the town's square and cornered her in an alley. I saw her web of lies unfold before my very eyes." Damon sighed and reminisced over their brief encounter. Her heart was beating true and it reminded him of how much he missed the pounding in his own chest. Her skin was warm like the sun and he longed to soak in the rays. But, he felt nothing; she took everything from him and loved to hate her for it.

"I warned you of your courting her, you chose poorly and this is the consequence, my dear friend."

"She betrayed me. Damn it, she bewitched my mind. She made me sacrifice my life, and that's all you have to say?" Dark red veins began to cascade under Damon's eyes. He was young in vampire years and had yet to possess a hold on his intense emotions, a consequence of vampirism that he much hated.

"Must you sully your words in my presence?" Alaric pursed his lips, angered at Damon's utter disrespect for his divine status.

Alaric had always prevented Damon from meeting him on holy ground, instead gathering with him in secret at the edge of the woods, where the town's boundary ended. Damon was unpredictable, emotional and more importantly, a vampire and Alaric risked being ousted from his position if seen in the company of what the church ruled as despicable evil.
He knew he needed to defuse the situation quickly and avoid attracting attention or worse, be on the receiving end of Damon's bite.

"Come inside, we will talk about this." Alaric quickly took Damon's hand and led him into the confines of the church.

"I should not be in here, Ric." Damon stumbled inside and gulped as his eyes widened at the interior, his body feeling as though it was burning.

"No, you should not, but I refuse to leave you to commit sins. You are better than this, my friend. Face the problem, obtain answers and move on with your life." Alaric cupped Damon's icy cheeks and willed him to be the man he knew he could be.

His words of wisdom had an instant calming effect on Damon and he suddenly felt ready to meet with Katherine and get the closure he so desperately needed.

"Where would one find her?"

"Stefan is to marry..."

"I do not wish to know of my brother." Damon bitterly interrupted.

"Allow me to finish." Alaric reassured him.

"Stefan is to marry and your father is throwing a lavish ball in honour of their pending nuptials. I hear all of Mystic Falls' finest will be attending. If Katherine is delving into society, then that is where she will be."

"Then I shall go and force her conversation."

"Keep to the shadows, Damon. Remember what your father said." Alaric warned and bid his friend farewell.

The sun shone through the grand windows of Elena's chambers, breaking over the soft, delicate contours of her body. She lay on her plush bed, a heavenly smile adorned on her ruby lips as her mind wandered shamefully. Ever since her meeting with the mysterious man in the alley, she had not been able to think straight. Before, she had been nervous and filled with dread over her impending nuptials but now, her mind was clouded with images of him, the dark prince without a name. Her dainty fingers lightly traced her lips and she recalled his icy touch, her eyes fluttering in bliss as her body sparked and buzzed at the memory. She had never indulged in impure thoughts but she could not shake the idea of a kiss. She longed to taint her lips in sin and to have this hands roam over her body once more, to lock eyes with his cobalt hues and to feel his arctic form against her heated skin. He was hauntingly beautiful and that's exactly what his features did, haunt her, in the most thrilling way possible, and like an addict, she craved to rendezvous with him in the shadows once more.

Suddenly, her corrupt thoughts were interrupted as Bonnie burst through the door, frantically grabbing Elena's robe from her bed bench.

"Quickly Miss, your father is here with your dress." Bonnie beckoned Elena from her bed and urgently dressed her in her robe, neatly tucking her chocolate locks behind her ears in an attempt to make her presentable for her father.

Elena swallowed thickly, and quickly smoothed her hands through her hair and over the material of her robe, desperately trying not to appear flustered. Her impure thoughts were suddenly replaced with ones of dread and anticipation, once again.

"Father!" Elena forced a smile as Master Gilbert entered her chambers, shortly followed by a number of maids who held up Elena's finished gown.

"Mrs Lockwood has done some exquisite work Elena; do be sure to thank her." Master Gilbert expertly eyed the dress before turning his attention to Elena, clearing his throat as though to prompt her to thank him, too.

"Thank you, Father. I will be prompt to pay my regards to Mrs Lockwood." Elena indulged him but cursed the dress and scowled him in her mind.

"As I have told you many times, my dear Elena, I only want the best for you."

The best for the family name, more like. The thought revolved around Elena's head and she bit her lip and plucked at the delicate skin of her fingers to prevent herself from saying anything. Bonnie glared at Elena, her eyes gesturing to the habit that Master Gilbert hated and Elena quickly put her hands behind her back, not wishing for him to administer an assault so close to a public event.

"You are so kind, Father. The dress is overwhelming." She bent the truth and forced another smile onto her plush lips.

"Bonnie will help you dress, my sweet and then the entire town awaits you."

"Forgive my naivety, but I do not understand what you mean, Father."

"The ball, Elena, the ball is tonight and all of Mystic Falls high society will be there to welcome you and Stefan.

"Tonight?" Elena's features contorted with grief, feeling as though she had not been given enough time to prepare herself.

"But, Father, I have not even met Stefan yet."

"And tonight you will, my dear, just as everyone else will meet you as a couple." He smiled and turned to leave.

"Oh, Bonnie, if she does not look perfect, I will have your head." Master Gilbert slid his finger across his neck in a cutting motion, gesturing to Bonnie that she would lose her position within their household if she did not meet his standards.

Elena waited until her father was out of earshot before bursting into tears. Her breath came out in pants as tears rolled fluidly down the velvety skin of her cheeks.

"Bonnie, what am I to do?" She cried, collapsing in a heap on the floor.

"Do not trouble yourself, Miss. Wait until we have you in your gown, you will look beautiful and all your worries will fade away. Stefan is charming; you will have a fine life with him." Bonnie smiled and urged Elena to get up so that she could dress her.

"You worked for the Salvatores, did you not?" Elena asked, sweeping away the tears that continued to fall.

"I did."

"Did you ever meet Stefan?"

"Yes, Miss Elena, I did."

"Tell me about him."

Bonnie rolled her eyes slightly and sat in a huff, knowing she had little time to perfect Elena's look for the grand ball.

"He is a fine young man, very well mannered, respectful and kind."

"Is he affectionate? Can I expect a marriage full of love and devotion?"

"That, I do not know, but I can assure you that you will never want for anything."

"I do not want for anything now." Elena looked down at her hands. "All I want is to marry a man that I love."

"I believe that if you want something strongly enough, then you will get it." Bonnie smiled and held out her hand to Elena. "We must dress you now."

"Thank you, Bonnie." Elena felt slightly calmer and stood so that Bonnie could prepare her.

"You are welcome, Miss Elena."

Damon skulked amongst the crowd gathered at the base of the grand staircase. He knew that staircase, he had descended it numerous times, but it had been a full year since he had stepped inside his former home. He now resided in the old slave quarters about a half a mile from the Salvatore residence; he was to the woods as the workers were to the slums of New York, an outlaw and a recluse. But, standing here now, Damon fit in like he had never left. A crisp white shirt accompanied by a black tailored blazer clung to him perfectly, matching black slacks and polished shoes finished the look. He was the picture of a Southern gentleman, despite his new form and dwellings, and the only thing separating him from the other Mystic Falls folk was his mesmerising looks and piercing blue orbs.

Those eyes wandered his surroundings looking for the reason he had come here. Katherine. He needed answers, wanted to know why she had lured him into her deathly clutches, drained him of his life and cursed him with immortality only to then leave him to live out his existence alone. Why had she turned human? How had she turned human? Why did she not want him? The questions riddled his tormented mind and he clenched his fists, suddenly feeling betrayal and sadness ebb through his body, heating his blood with rage. How could she do this to him? His eyes grew a darker shade of blue and it took all the power he had to stop himself from ripping into the necks of the surrounding towns people.

The sound of a familiar voice suddenly roused him from his savage thoughts and he looked up to see where the sound was coming from, shuddering in disgust as he set eyes upon his father.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for coming out tonight. I would like you to join me in welcoming my son and his fine lady onto the dance floor. I hope you enjoy your evening." Master Salvatore addressed the crowd of Mystic Falls finest and smiled as the audience clapped vigorously in response.

Elena jumped as she heard the announcement, her heart suddenly beginning to pound furiously beneath her breast. She glanced into the mirror, everything around her feeling alien. The room she stood in was foreign, the mirror she looked into, unfamiliar, she had never worn such a grand dress before and had never been about to descend a staircase that would change her life, forever. She swallowed thickly, desperately trying to budge the lump forming in the crevasse of her throat. She could feel herself beginning to pant and as she smoothed her hands over the lavish gown she felt it getting tighter, suffocating her, killing her.

"Miss Gilbert, we are ready for you now." A voice called from behind the door and Elena shook as she began to make her way over to it.

She lined the banister, her eyes locking momentarily with Stefan who stood waiting at the top of the opposite staircase. In just a few short steps, she would meet him for the first time and begin the rest of her life with him. Her gaze quickly left him and she peered through the gaps in the banister and down into the crowd, desperately seeking comfort in a familiar face.

Damon stared upon the grand staircase; waiting to get a quick glimpse of Stefan and his betrothed, his eyes occasionally shooting fleeting glances around the room for those all telling chocolate curls.

There she was, his eyes expertly picked her out in the crowd, standing next to Matthew Donovan. He grit his teeth as he eyed the woman who had changed his life, betrayed him and left him, alone, to rot in misery. His nostrils flared in anger and his blunt teeth sank into his plush bottom lip almost drawing blood.

Ever since she arrived in Mystic Falls, Katherine had tangled everyone she had come into contact with, in a web of lies and deceit. She was cunning and manipulative and Damon was but one of her many victims. She had a list as long as her arm of people she had lured under her spell, including Mater Gilbert. Katherine had used him and compelled her way into society, revelling in a life of luxury all the while Damon lived in the shadows.

He sighed heavily, his eyes narrowing with an evil glint. He quickly made his way through the crowd, he had to get to her, he needed those answers, needed closure. Just as he reached the front two rows his attention was quickly stolen.

"Presenting Mr Stefan Salvatore and Miss Elena Gilbert."

Damon's eyes widened and shot to the staircase, he knew that name. Elena... That was the name from the alley. He swallowed thickly as Stefan and Elena came into view and the audience fell silent.

She looked almost identical to Katherine, doe brown eyes that he could stare into all day, chocolate tresses that enticed his fingers and plump, ruby lips that he found himself wanting to kiss, the more he studied them. She stood at the top of the staircase, her arm laced with his brothers, looking like a goddess. Katherine had all but evaporated from his mind, and he could tell, even from a distance, that she was different. The audience knew it too; they were in awe, stunned into silence by the exquisiteness of the gown and by who was wearing it.

Damon could hear her heart humming loudly like a beautiful song, he knew it was hers, he recognised it from the alley, it was distinct and unlike anyone else's. It was like it spoke to him, called his name and longed for his love.

Elena, Elena Gilbert, the name rolled effortlessly from his lips and floated into the air as a whisper. She was human, warm and inviting and he found himself wanting nothing more than to be alone in the darkness with her once more.

So Elena wants to see her dark prince again and Damon wants to see his beautiful goddess again. I wonder what will happen? Find out next chapter. Please be good and review.