The Other Side

Play the Game

The doorbell rings and Damon comes out of the kitchen to answer. He picks up a box. "What is it?"

"A package. It just says to open it." He sits down and takes the tape off then opens it. I rest my head on his shoulder. "It's from her." I look at him with wide eyes and I cling to his arm. "I guess she's starting the game." He mutters. We look deeper in the box and I gasp and jump up when I see it. "Please tell me that's not what I think it is." He closes the box. "It's a pig head. I close my eyes and cover my mouth. He comes over to me. "Everything is going to be okay-"

"No, it won't! Don't you get that, Damon?!? Your own sister just left a box with a real pig head inside of it! And this is only the beginning!" He takes my face in his hands. "I know, Elena."

"No-"

"Elena, I know. You have to trust me."

"You know I trust you Damon."

"Then trust me to take care of our family." He gently touches my stomach. "And trust me to take care of you." I shake my head. "Damon, it's not me or our kids that I'm worried about. I'm worried about you, because they're after you. Not me, not Sam, not Evie, you. They're only using us to get to you."

"I know, and if I protect you, they can't get to me, Elena. I love you. You're my life, and I'm defending my life." I kiss him gently, and he wraps his arms around my waist gently. Caleb kicks against his stomach and we both laugh.

"Looks like somebody is awake." He kneels down to my stomach and I smile at him. "I love you Caleb. I'll always protect you, alright?" He kicks in response and Damon smiles up at me.

"And I love you, Elena."

"I love you too Damon."

"Will you please stay out of this?"

Never.

"I'll try, okay?"

"Okay."

Sorry Damon. There's no way in hell I'm staying out of this.

I head upstairs and I pull on some regular clothes followed by my boots. "Where are you going?" Damon asks.

"I'm just going to visit Care and Tyler."

"Okay. I'll see you later." He kisses me then walks downstairs. I head out to my car and I begin driving. When I get to the Lockwood Mansion, I knock on the door gently. Tyler answers, smiling at me. "Elena! Oh my god it's been a while!"

"Yeah, it has. I wish I could say I was stopping by just because, but I'm not."

"Of course, of course. So how far along are you?"

"About 7 and a half months."

"Oh, so you're almost full term."

"Yeah." Caroline jumps around the corner and attacks me in a giant hug. "I missed you! You and Damon don't stop by enough."

"I'm sorry, Care. Things have just been a little hectic since the wedding, Evie and Christian ran off to Italy, I'm getting pretty pregnant, things have just been insane."

"That's okay. Where is Damon?"

"He isn't here. I wish it wasn't this way; I really do. But this has gotten bad."

"Sit down, tell us everything." I nod then I take a deep breath.

"Klaus and Ariana kidnapped Farah. We got her back, but Ariana challenged us to a game. This morning, we got a box from them." They look at each other, then I continue. "It had a pig head inside of it." Caroline's hand flies over her moth.