a/n: Finally! This is the last installment of my Nothing Without You series. This is the wedding story I kept promising. It took me a long time to write, and I'm still not done with it yet, but I have enough to start posting. Enjoy :)

ONE

The sound of the waves lapping at the shore outside the window combined with the light pitter-pat of rain roused me from sleep. My eyes opened to see a dark grey sky full of clouds and a soft round of rain coming down in front of the big bay window on my side of the bed. I inhaled deeply, reveling in the scent the two forms of water brought. I reached down to the floor and picked up Damon's shirt. As I slid off of the bed, I pulled the shirt on and began to button it up as I walked to the window. I stopped at the bench where I spent a great deal of time reading and looked out at the ocean. There was definitely a storm brewing. I smiled at that thought, it had been a few months since we had had a decent storm.

I heard a movement from the bed and turned to see Damon had shifted in his sleep. His arm was draped across the space that I had vacated and it made me smile even more. I made my way back to the bed and sat on the edge. I reached over to brush the hair from his face and ran my hand over his cheek. It was a rare thing; to see him sleeping. Normally he pretended to be asleep, but I could tell it was real this time. He looked so vulnerable and peaceful. It made me wonder if this was how he had looked as a human. I ran my thumb across his lips and then got to my feet again, deciding to let him rest.

I headed to the French doors on the wall adjacent to the bay window and opened them as quietly as I could. I left them open as I walked to the edge of the balcony and rested my hands on the railing. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It felt incredibly strange to breathe being that it was something I seldom did. I watched the water crash onto the beach, wetting the sand and pulling back into the ocean once more. The rain slowly wet my skin and my hair as I continued to stare at the sea, getting lost in the tremulous water.

I jumped slightly as I felt arms circling my waist, drawing me from my thoughts. I smiled as Damon's head rested on my shoulder after placing a soft kiss on the top of my head. "You look delectable in my clothes," he whispered, his chest rumbling against my back as he spoke.

I moved my arms to cover his and leaned back against him. My thumbs absently stroked his skin as my eyes closed to fully enjoy the sensation of being in his arms. "I can't say the same about you."

He laughed at that and tightened his hold a bit. "I should hope not."

He lifted his head away from my shoulder and pulled me closer to him. I turned in his arms and put mine around his neck; my hands resting on the back of his head to bring his face closer to mine. I closed my eyes as our lips met and groaned as he grabbed my hips, lifting me up so I could wrap my legs around his waist. He turned to put my back against the exterior of the villa, a gasp escaping my lips from the rough collision. I sunk my fingers into his hair and nipped at his bottom lip the moment I felt him slide into me.

My head arched backwards only to hit the wall behind me. Damon buried his lips against my neck and suckled at the skin. My hands trailed from his hair to back where my nails raked over his flesh. My eyes fluttered as his fangs grazed my skin, wasting no time before biting down to draw blood. He groaned at the taste and increased the speed of this thrusts.

My head began to bind and my eyes squeezed shut. My nails dug into his shoulders as I bucked my hips against him as much as I could. "Damon!" I hissed as my release came; intense and earth-shattering. He buried himself all the way inside of me as I felt my insides warm up from his release. He moved his lips from my throat to my mouth and kissed me. My tongue exploded from the taste of my own blood, containing some remnants of the angel essence that had once possessed me.

Once the feeling of euphoria had dissolved, Damon stepped back and lowered me to the ground gently. "Did I ever tell you how much I love the private beach?" I asked, putting my head against his bare chest.

He stroked my back tenderly and nodded against the top of my head. "Every day."

I smiled before pulling out of his grasp and walked back into our bedroom. He followed me and shut the door, watching me remove his shirt before walking to the bathroom. I stopped just beyond the threshold and looked over my shoulder at him. "Are you coming?" I asked playfully. Before I knew it, he was gathering me into his arms and hurrying towards the shower.

After a very long morning, Damon and I sat in our living room listening to the rain and whatever was on the radio. He was sitting against the arm of the couch while I laid on my back with my head in his lap. "I've been thinking about our wedding," I said out of nowhere, earning a raised brow from him.

"It's about time," he said, his fingers playing with my hair.

"We should have it here."

"On the beach?"

I nodded and turned to lie on my side. "Of course." My eyes closed and I began to imagine how things would be set up. "I can see it now."

"Describe it."

"The waves are lapping at the sand behind the alter. The setting sun is setting; casting everything in a fiery orange glow. We're surrounded by our closest friends and family on New Years."

"Our?"

I turned my head to look at him and frowned. "You and the others might be too afraid to admit that you're friends and family, but it's the truth. Sure, they hated you in the beginning, but things have changed."

"I'm sure they-"

I groaned in frustration and sat up using my vampire speed to straddle his waist. I smiled down at him, cupping his face between my palms. "They love you because you love me and vice versa. Yes, you still have some issues, but that was the past. You've made up for all the terrible things that you've done to them."

He pretended to pout. "Terrible? I think that's debatable."

My head shook with silent laughter as I leaned down to kiss him lightly. "Anyway," I breathed, changing the subject as I pulled away from him. My hands dropped to rest on his shoulders to steady myself as I spoke. "I want to personally invite our guests to attend the wedding."

He stared at me, his eyes searching mine to see how serious I was. "When would you like to go?"

"As soon as possible," I replied quickly.

I gasped in surprise as he moved with lightening fast speed to pin me beneath him on the couch. "Does tomorrow work for you?"

My eyes widened slightly before they narrowed with suspicion. "Do you have a private jet I don't know about?" It had been meant as a joke, but his nod put a stop to the humor. "Since when?"

He grinned, "It's not exactly mine, but it belongs to a very good friend of mine. He said I could use it when I wanted. I'll talk to him later about it."

"Is it the same friend that sold you this mansion attached to a very substantial private beach?"

He nodded while brushing his lips over mine. "The very same."

I surprised him by reversing our roles, putting him beneath me. He narrowed his eyes at me, clearly unhappy that my strength had returned even though I had been very cautious not to drink from any other supernatural being; other than Damon of course. It was the only thing that had returned, leaving me to feel a bit empty inside; like I was missing a crucial part of me. "Thank you."

This time, his pout was real as I slid off of him to retrieve the phone. "What are you doing?" he asked, sitting up to watch me.

I returned with the phone and placed it in his hands before sitting next to him again. "Call your friend and make the arrangements."

"Now?"

I nodded and moved my lips to his ear. "I'll show you how much I appreciate you after it's done." I grinned as he dialed quickly and put the phone to his other ear.

He got up from the couch as he began to talk and I did the same. I headed to the bedroom to make a list of the places I needed to go. It had been five years since Damon and I had left Mystic Falls. The two of us had traveled to a few different places before settling down in Italy. Damon had purchased this mansion situated on a private beach in Italy two years ago and we had been here ever since. The beach was over ten miles long and it included an alcove at the end of it. There were no neighbors around seeing as how the closest one was another few miles away. Damon had chosen this place because we could live here for a very long time without anyone being able to notice that we didn't age. The only problem we encountered was the lack of blood supply. We had solved that problem by going into the main city once a month and getting as many blood bags as we could, taking fresh blood while we were at it.

As far as friends and family were concerned, I had contacted most of them constantly in the beginning, but at this point, I was down to talking to them once a year if I was lucky. The wedding would be a good way to bring everyone together for what could possibly be the last time. That thought, although bittersweet, was one that I had had several times before. However, this time I was intent on keeping it that way.

I looked up as Damon came back into the room. "When do we leave?"

"You leave first thing tomorrow. My friend is informing his pilot now that he is to take you anywhere you want to go and will leave at your request."

I stared at him for a moment and frowned. "Are you not coming with me?"

He crossed the room and put his arms around me, drawing me close to him. He placed a kiss on my forehead before explaining himself. "You're planning on having the ceremony this New Years, correct?"

"Mhmm," I said against his chest.

"Then I have only a few months to get you the perfect gift."

I pulled away from him and shook my head. "Damon, I don't need anything."

"I know that, but this is something that I need to do and I will be utterly embarrassed if you're there when I acquire this particular surprise."

I stared at him with curiosity. "Embarrassed? You?"

"I will catch up with you in the States after I am done. How does that sound?"

"Can I still call you while you're on this super secret mission of yours?"

He smiled lightly. "I would hope so."

"Last I heard, Jeremy and Anna were in London. Would you mind getting the suitcases while I track him down?" I asked, heading to the desk where my phone was. He left the room once more while I called Anna.

"Elena?" she asked after the first ring had been completed.

"Are you guys still in London?" I asked, getting right to the point.

She hesitated a second before answering, allowing me to hear a door close. "Yes, sorry, Jeremy was in the room. I'm assuming you don't want him to know you're on the phone with me," she stated.

I grinned at that. "Thank you. I'm flying out first thing tomorrow from Italy to surprise Jeremy. Are you still at the same place since the last time I was there?"

"Still here," she said, slightly irritated since it was Jeremy who had picked out their place. "Do you need me to pick you up?"

I shook my head even though she couldn't see me. "No, I'll probably have a car. I'll call you when I'm on my way from the airport."

"I'll see you then," she said and hung up.

I put the phone back onto the desk and scrolled through my contacts, stopping at Stefan's name. I sighed and stared at the screen. "Everything okay?" Damon asked, setting the luggage down at the foot of the bed.

"Should I invite Stefan? I know we left on good terms, but..." my voice trailed off as I looked at Damon. "He's the only family you have left," I added quietly.

He shrugged, bringing one suitcase onto the bed and opened it for me. "Frankly, I don't care, but I know he means something to you. Whatever you decide will be just fine with me."

I narrowed my eyes at him, sensing something was off from the way he hadn't met my eyes as he said that. I shrugged it off and headed to the closet to begin packing. "How long do you think you'll be gone?" I asked as he started helping me.

"It won't take me too long to do once I track it down."

I squashed the rising curiosity within me and continued packing. "Alright, as long as you promise not to leave me alone for too long."

He stopped to kiss me and then smiled down at me. "I promise."