You can either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain

In the case of Damon Salvatore however for him it had been the exact opposite, because he wasn't a mere mortal, he was a vampire. He didn't have a limited amount of time like every human in this world, he had a lifetime, and during the years he had spent his time taking on the role of being the villain.

A monster, creature of the night and a predator that enjoyed the hunt. Everything that a vampire was made out to be, other than sparkling, Damon Salvatore was. He had been cruel, violent and borderline evil especially when he played with his food. Human life had meant nothing to him, because he had only seen them as part of the food chain that he'd feed off of. Wherever he'd end up he left a wake of blood in his path, and not even flinch over the casualties left because of him. Guilt and remorse was something that had seemed foreign to the vampire, because he simply didn't care. Tears had meant nothing to him, and if anything it only amused him more to know he had such power over people. With each new victim he trapped he had relished in their screams of agony, but more so when they begged for him to let them live, and because he was cruel he'd let them go. Watching the relief that flooded their expression when he instructed them to run, and once they thought they were finally free he'd appear before them, and tear them apart.

I came into this town wanting to destroy it

Mystic Falls had destroyed him back when he had been human, in many ways. The people that had watched him grow up had turned their backs on him calling him a traitor to the South. Town's folk who had once smiled at him, shouted at him and called him a Yankee going on about how he deserved death. The council after his own father had turned him in had strung him up, stripping him to just his breaches and had his own father brand him while they all looked on in excitement and relished in his cries of pain. People that he had once loved faded and grew to hate making it all the more appealing for him to join the vampire race, because at least they seemed to treat him more like a human.

Katherine Pierce had been the one to introduce him to vampirism, taking him into a much darker world. Most men would have fled for the hills when finding out her dirty and evil little secret, but Damon hadn't been most men, and if anything knowing the truth had made him love her even more. Unlike Stefan, Katherine hadn't kept Damon in the dark about her world; she had slowly bit by bit drawn him into the darker parts of her live. Taking him when she'd go hunt and sometimes using him to be the bait, not choosing him to be her escort for council events, but having him on her arm as she brought him to a dance held by her people. If he hadn't been such a fool he would have realized she had used his hate against his own race to draw him into vampirism, but he had been a fool in love, blinded by the promise of forever with her.

Perhaps it had been the idea of love that she had given to him that in his eyes had been enough or because he hadn't truly experience the feeling of love, real love, but whatever the reason was it had been enough for him to take one more step closer to vampirism. The night of the vampire roundup Damon had felt betrayed by his brother's idiotic mistake, Stefan the innocent tool that he was had thought by pleading with their father to change his view about vampires all would be okay. When Katherine had been captured Damon hadn't hesitated to free her, eventually Stefan following suit in hopes to earn Damon's forgiveness, and just as Damon had been about to free her completely he felt the bullet, a bullet shot by his own father pierce through his chest. Maybe he would have been more sad and grieving for his life if he had died, but with Katherine's blood running through him he knew he'd awaken, and him and Katherine could finally start their forever.

Unfortunately though when Damon had awoken and in transition he hadn't woken up to his dream, but rather a nightmare when catching the council setting fire to the church, with his beloved inside. What he had once saw as a gift now deemed a curse, because he couldn't live in a life without her, and because of it he had made the choice to not finish the transition, to die, but Stefan hadn't allowed him that curtsey.

Was that fate stepping in, because maybe he hadn't been meant to die, maybe in that moment he had believed he was meant to live so that he could free Katherine, or maybe he had been meant for so much more, he just didn't know it.

Fast forward to over a century later and he had found himself back in good ole Mystic Falls, lying on the street and starting up at the night sky thinking about Katherine, and though he felt an ache in his heart he assured himself it would heal. Soon Katherine would be his again, and they'd destroy this town until it was left with nothing.

So what do you want?

Over a century, it had taken over a century for someone to finally ask him what he wanted, and what his dreams were in life. The question had been simple, because anyone would answer right away, but with Damon it left him absolutely speechless, because no one had ever seemed to bother to ask him. What had shocked him the most was it hadn't been Katherine to ask him, his brother, father or anyone else he had been close to, but instead a stranger. A stranger he had met on the road that he had mistaken for a carbon copy of Katherine.

I'm Elena

Yes, she was Elena, and she had been a stranger he had connected with, years later he'd end up realizing that it hadn't just been a conversation on the road, but a beginning of a love story, their love story.

That night though the Damon that wasn't aware of their future had watched her get into her parents car, drive away, and after that he hadn't spare her another thought because his heart had remained faithful to Katherine, the reason why he had come to Mystic Falls in the first place.

A few months though they'd meet each other again, Elena hadn't remembered him do to the compulsion, but Damon had remembered her, more than he'd like to admit. At first he had remained loyal to the plan, his goal, and that meant keeping his mask on, but somehow Elena had once again been able to cause it to slip off.

I'm sorry, you lost her too

Once again Elena had the power to make him speechless, he found himself absolutely stunned, because she hadn't remembered him or their conversation and yet her sincere nature was here once again. Stefan had lost Katherine, Damon had made that known to her, but now here Elena stood apologizing, because he had lost her too.

A human girl, here he was a vampire, one of the most feared predators, and Elena had scared the hell out of him, because of the feelings she had been able to draw out of him. He had tried to keep her at bay, and keep the distance between them, but fake or the universe just being a bitch had snuck up on him the night he had found her jeep crashed in the middle of the road.

This had been the first time when Damon had saved someone rather than killing them, and he had handled her with such care as he carefully set her to her feet, but keeping his hold on her afraid that she'd lose her footing. Even by doing that it hadn't been enough, the dizziness had gotten to her causing her to slip, but Damon had been prepared, catching her wrist and holding her before she could hit the ground. He had tried to get her to focus, explaining to her that she needed to focus because she was fading, and fast. The tears that rolled down her cheek causing Damon's dead heart to feel something that he hadn't felt in a very long time, sorrow, once again this girl had caused him to feel things he had promised himself not to feel, and watching her fading faster only causing his fear to grow.

The journey hadn't been a breeze, Elena had complained, protested and thrown her tantrum insisting that Damon take her back to Mystic Falls, but eventually he had finally caused her to crack, and join him on this mini road trip.

Five minutes

Five minutes had turned out to be longer than that, and during that time Elena had gotten more adventurous at the bar he had taken her to, because he had business to deal with. It amused him to hear Elena suggest doing shots, some patrons joining in, including Damon and he had actually been surprised to find out that Elena was a pro when it came to shots, schooling him and everyone else each time.

"I am not even drunk" Elena protests "my tolerance is like" wanting to prove her point jumping up in the air, holding her hand up as high as she can point "up here" she finishes and grins at Damon.

Each time she won a round she'd jump up and do a victory dance and it was in this moment were Damon realized this had been the old Elena, the Elena before the tragedy and doom and gloom. This was the Elena he had encountered on the road, and the one he had found himself enjoying being in her company, just like now.

Laughing as he watches her, and it takes him a moment to realize it had been actual laugher that had escaped him. Not the usual laugher he was known for doing when playing with his food. This had been genuine laugher, because he had actually been having a good time, and it was all because of Elena. This trip had been a business trip all about Katherine, and it still had, but he had been greeted to the fact that a minor adjustment couldn't happen, he had felt defeat because this trip had been a bust, and yet now here he sat laughing and smiling, and it was all because of this girl standing or rather wobbling before him.

I saved your life

I know

Don't you forget it

There was no way in hell that Damon would be forgetting Elena's selfless act and act of kindness, because it was embedded into his brain. Last night she had put herself in harm's way for him of all people, someone that in his eyes didn't even deserve to be fought for, and yet Elena had done exactly that, she had fought for him. It was Elena's heart that was reason for why he sat here today, and such a gesture wouldn't go ignored by Damon.

In just these two days of spending time with each other Elena had already broken past a barrier of Damon's concrete walls and she had managed to cause him to break his own rule. It was all about him and only him; he had lived by that mantra for a while, he didn't give a damn what happened to anyone else, because as long as he was okay life was good. Someone could get hurt or even die and he wouldn't flinch, but Elena had changed that because now he couldn't fathom the thought of someone laying their hands on her or worse actually hurting her. The thought alone enraged him, only reminding himself to see if he could find any leads towards the vampire who had caused the accident, because they'd be having a lovely heart to heart, ending with Damon ripping his heart right from his very chest.

It was in this moment, in this very car were Damon revised his own rule, making a silent vow that no harm would come to Elena, he wouldn't use compulsion against her, take advantage of her or harm her in any way. He would keep his eyes on her, making sure that she was safe, and if not he would step in when danger greeted her, because now he had been officially hooked by this girl.

Years of now caring for anyone but himself finally coming to an end deciding to let her in, it would take a hell of a lot, but he was willing to do it.

Anytime were Damon would find himself tempted to snap at her, become reckless or close himself off to her he'd remind himself of their time spent here in Georgia, when they had each been greeted to different sides of themselves.

Georgia would always stay on his mind.

Dressed in a monkey suit Damon Salvatore found himself debating on ditching this function and drowning himself in alcohol. Since he was a founding family member he had done his job of donating and making an appearance, but ever since finding out that Saintly Stefan had dropped the Saintly act and gone back to drinking human blood his mood had dropped. There was also the fact that he didn't feel the need to observe Stefan and Elena dancing since he still had Katherine and Stefan dancing fresh in his brain from 1864. 'Alright I made the rounds time to go get me some rounds' and just as he's about to make his getaway he hears Elena's name being announced. Though his mission is to leave he decides to just stick around a moment more so that he can see her all dolled up.

'Elena Gilbert escorted by Mister Stefan Salvatore'

Mayor Lockwood's voice announces as Damon sees her standing above on the stairway, flicking his attention towards the end of the stairs expecting to see his white knight of a brother there, but instead he's nowhere to be seen. 'Alright brother time to make your grand entrance searching him out trying to spot him through the crowd'. Watching as Elena descends down the stairs and even though he can see she's keeping it together when she doesn't spot her boyfriend he can tell inside she's panicking. A hint of annoyance running through him that of all days Stefan had chosen this one to bail out. Damon's gaze flicking over towards the stand-in, obviously this guy knew the moves, but he didn't know Elena, and if someone was finally going to have the excuse to have her in their arms it sure as hell wasn't going to be a stranger. As if on autopilot he pushes through the crowd, making his way over towards the end of the stair case and awaiting her.

The second that he's at the stairs he watches as she gracefully draws closer to him. Immediately his eyes take her in deeming her to be an angel. A breath taking angel, because vampire or not as he stands here awaiting this true vision making her way closer he finds that his very breath is being stolen from him. There's a rush of something he's feeling and it terrifies him to the point that he's tempted to leave, but then he also feels excitement that he'll be able to share this dance with her and its reason enough for him to stay.

The minute that they had lifted their hands and began their dance something had changed, and Damon had felt it instantly. The time that he had been trying so hard to convince himself that it was a simple attraction no longer there, because something was there, and he couldn't stop it even if he wanted to. With such an intense dance their gazes with each other had to be held, stormy blue remaining trained on a warm shade of brown. Their eyes blazing into each other, each reflecting fire and in those moments of dancing the annoyance he had been holding for his brother for bailing suddenly turning into Damon being grateful because he had been given this moment with Elena. An unspeakable bond surging through them and it scares the hell out of Damon as they circle around each other just how desperate he finds himself wanting, needing her in his arms.

Like an answered prayer suddenly she's there, her chest meeting his and he marvels at the way their bodies mold together. He's holding her in his arms, and it's frightening and yet exhilarating, and in that moment he finds himself wishing that this dance wouldn't end, that it would play on forever, because he wants to share every dance with her.

Tonight I found myself wanting to protect it how does that happen?

Now the answer clear in his head, Elena, she had been the reason that had caused him to care. Elena had been the one who he had finally allowed and invited in. They say it's dangerous to invite a vampire in, but for Damon it had just been as deadly inviting Elena in, because not only was he letting her into his house, but his heart.

People had been shut out of his life, keeping himself in isolation, but with each new second that had past during his time knowing Elena she had snuck past the guards guarding his heart, and had found her way in. Elena had become someone where he had put her first, even before himself. She had taken on so many different titles through their time together. The person he had confided in, his friend who in time he had fallen for, and hard. A dance partner who from the second fell into his embrace he found himself wanting to share every dance with. Countless metaphorical and physical tangos they had participated in and yet finally meeting in the middle leading them both to love. She had taken on the role of being his girlfriend, the love of his life and his life.

There was one title that he had been longing to give to her, and he had been planning to give it to her the night of Alaric and Jo's wedding, but in the blink of an eye he had lost everything.

If it comes down between you and the witch I will gladly let Bonnie die

That Damon Salvatore the one who had first returned to Mystic Falls would have stuck to such a vow and allowed Bonnie to die. That Damon wouldn't have shed a tear or felt an ounce of guilt because at least Elena would still be alive. There had been countless moments in the past were Damon had made the wrong and selfish choice, and most of those choices dealing with Elena, but the end result of her always remaining alive had been worth it.

If he had made the selfish choice and let Bonnie die at the hands of Kai and even himself Elena would hate him forever, or considering he had been willing to take the cure, she'd hate him for whatever time frame he had left. Did it sound like a win/lose situation? Of course, but even with hating him at least she would have been a live, and that would have been more than enough for him. Damon could deal with the guilt, but what he couldn't deal with was Elena hating herself, because five, ten, and twenty years from now the blame would still be fresh, and she'd hate herself, and that was just something Damon couldn't live with.

As he had stared into that casket, preparing himself to say his final goodbye he had found in that moment he was struggling between hate and love towards the woman deep in slumber. Hate because she had to be so selfless, and somewhere along the way he had picked up on that trait and love because he had become the better man because of her. The man willing to spend the next sixty years give or take of his life without his life, because this is who he was now, and she was the reason for that.

When darkness had draped over the sky he had taken his usual perch up on the clock-tower taking on the role of the town's watchman. One month, that's all it had been since he had lost the love of his life, and yet the ache he felt in his heart felt as if he had been carrying it with him for lifetimes. Saying goodbye to Elena had been hell, but what had happened shortly after it had almost felt as if hell had opened up, because a different kind of evil had taken over Mystic Falls.

Heretics had entered Mystic Falls a mix between vampire and witch making them all the more deadly. Once upon a time Damon would have deemed this to be impossible, but these witches had the ability to draw power from another source, and as vampire's they were able to draw from that source. These creatures had been put into exile for years, just like his own mother had been, trapped in another world, and with them out they had been completely ruthless, destroying anything and anyone in their path. Jo had revealed to him and Elena once before that heretics, with witch powers as vampires had been an abomination to nature, and that they could never escape from their world, and now they were out. Vampires were able to control their blood lust, they could have their fill and be satiated, but heretics were always hungry and craving blood.

Starved and desiccated for over a century, and with Kai now dead thanks to Damon the cloaking spell that had been hiding them had broken, six heretics now on the loose, sociopaths who had once killed thousands of people killing whoever crossed their path so that they could replenish themselves.

This town had rained blood, blood that he had once wanted to see pouring from the skies now making him weak, because this was his town, and he'd be damned if he'd allow these outsiders to take control of it. They had yet to figure out a way to put a final demise to them, because the weakness vampires held like a werewolf bite barely made them flinch, because they were able to heal themselves without the need of the Klaus's blood.

That didn't mean Damon was giving up though, battered and bruised he had returned from the war, but rather than retreating he stride forward each time. They had yet to kill him and he figured it had been because Lilly dare he say cared enough not to want her son dead? Whatever the case though it wasn't enough to stop Damon from wanting to do anything and everything in his power to kill them.

I'm not a hero Elena I don't do good, it's not in me

Yet as he remained at his perch overlooking the town below him he realized maybe in some way he was. In some way Damon was a hero, maybe not the one that Mystic Falls deserved, but needed, because yeah he was reckless and his methods weren't ideal, but he was always willing to fight, put his life on the line and protect the town he had come to love.

Damon wasn't sporting tights or a cape, and he sure as hell wasn't decked in white, maybe he wasn't the white knight, but at some point in time he had become something to this town.

A silent guardian

A watchful protector

A Dark Knight

Authors Note: The last scene of the finale with Damon overlooking Mystic Falls, perched on the clock-tower reminded me of Batman overlooking Gotham and protecting it from the evil that entered. The first and last quotes are from the Dark Knight series