Damon was standing next to the safe in the cell, in Elena's head.
I stood behind him. "You still have her locked in the safe? You've been in her head for an hour. What, still nothing?"
Damon didn't answer, walking closer to the safe. "How you doing in there?" He unlocked the safe, opening the door, revealing Elena inside, weak, barely conscious. Damon pulled her out. "Come on." Elena fell to the ground. Damon knelt in front of her. "Is the old you ready to come out and play?"
"Go to hell," Elena told him.
Damon made a face, smiling tightly. "Okay. Back you go." He put Elena back into the safe, locking it. "We can do this the nice way, or we can do it the other way... but either way, we're not stopping until you turn your humanity switch back on. So I'm gonna let you think about that, and I'm gonna come back for you in a couple hours, or a couple years... because all we have is time."
Damon patted the safe twice.
I smirked slightly.
****
Upstairs, Damon had brought Elena up in the parlor, tied to a chair.
Damon noisily set down a fire extinguisher.
Elena startled awake.
Stefan walked around the room, which was dimly lit.
"Good, you're awake," I told her. "Thought you could use a little sunshine."
I pulled the curtain back a little, allowing a ray of light to creep closer to Elena.
Elena looked at her hand.
"Looking for this?" Damon asked, holding her daylight ring in front of her. Elena reached for it as much as the bonds on her wrist would allow. Damon pulled it away.,"Oh, you know the rules. Bad girls don't get nice jewelry."
Stefan nodded to me to let the curtain go.
I reluctantly let it go, letting it close.
Elena spoke impassively. "You took my ring. I'm devastated. And bored. Can I go back to solitary now?"
"No," Damon answered. "I kinda like you in the hot seat. Whenever you're ready, sister."
I took hold of the curtain without hesitation.
"Am I supposed to be scared?" Elena asked.
"You will be," I told her. "And when you are, focus on that fear. It's the key to getting your humanity back. And if for some reason this doesn't work, even if Stefan and Damon say no, we're gonna resort to my methods." Elena kept her expression clear of any reaction. "Yeah. So while you're thinking about that ... I'm gonna do this."
"You're not gonna burn me," Elena told me.
"You don't think so?" I asked.
"No," Elena answered. "And even if you do manage to get my emotions back, I'll remember all this, and I'll hate all of you for it."
Damon and Stefan exchanged a look.
I tilted my head. "Tsk. Worth the risk."
I pulled the curtain wide.
The sunlight started to burn Elena's hand, making her scream in pain, struggling.
****
Her arm ignited into flames for a few seconds before Damon put it out with the fire extinguisher.
I let go of the curtain.
"Bet that feels better, huh?" Damon asked. "How about a little gratitude, or any human emotion whatsoever, and we can stop this?"
