N: So, since I'm totally obsessed with Vampire Diaries and the summer break is driving me crazy, I decided to write my own version of the 3th season (even if there are a few already out there, and some are pretty good) to fix my addiction. I watched the second season a million times so I'd be able to stay true to the characters, now I can't promise I got them perfectly figured out, but I did my best. A new chapter will be posted every Thursday just like the show, if something will prevent me from posting, a new chapter with an announcement will inform you of it.

As always a big thank you goes to my great beta, Valerie (2serendipity)!

Now on with the show! The story picks up right after the episode ended, enjoy!

Every end has a beginning

"It's ok to love them both; I did."

Elena caught the small bottle flying towards her and looked at it for a moment, not knowing what else to do. As soon as she found the courage to face Damon, she did. He was trying to maneuver himself into a sitting position.

"Damon…" she mumbled, returning to the edge of the bed. "How…are you feeling?" she asked, still not believing they just got the supposedly non-existent 'cure'.

Damon let his upper body lean on the pile of pillows behind him and rolled up his sleeve.

"I think it's working," he said, his voice still weak.

The wound was still red and the green veins looked ready to pop out from under his skin. Elena raised her hand to her mouth to stop a scream and when her eyes found Damon's, they were filled with concern….

"It doesn't look like it's working at all, Damon," she whispered.

"Oh, believe me, it looked a lot worse before."

Elena couldn't imagine that thing looking any worse. The way it looked now was enough to creep her out.

"Are you sure it's working? Maybe I should give you more?" she asked, removing the plug of the small bottle still in her hands.

"No, I'm sure it's getting better. I mean, I still feel like I'm on Prozac, but the pain and the burning sensation are gone. I'm good to go, just give me a minute!" he said, trying to get up.

"Are you out of your mind? You're not going anywhere!" Elena shouted, pushing him back against the mattress. It didn't take much since he was still really weak.

"What? Elena, didn't you just hear what Katherine said? We have to go save the hero!"

"Damon, whatever happened between Stefan and…Klaus will have to wait until tomorrow, because you need to rest!" Elena ordered.

"But…"

"No buts, Damon; one crisis at a time. We just cured you from a 'fatal to vampires' werewolf bite. We don't even know what happened; Stefan's not exactly the impulsive one. I'm sure that whatever he did, he didn't put himself or anyone else in danger," she said, calmer than she was. In fact, she was terrified, too terrified to even think about it. She was scared of whatever Klaus wanted from Stefan, but for now…she'd just got Damon back from the dead, practically. Thinking she'd lost Damon forever had been enough for today; that was all her fragile heart could take at the moment. Plus, it's not like they could go after Klaus like this. Damon was still healing and she was…well, in shock.

"Please Damon, get some rest, we'll deal with it tomorrow, please!" she begged.

"Fine, but I need a shower if you don't mind, I'm soaked," he said and she helped him to the bathroom.

Elena had to keep herself occupied or she'd go crazy. So she took clean sheets from the drawer and replaced the old ones. She took a pillow in her arms and lifted it to her face, taking a deep breath; the pillow smelled like him, just as everything in this room smelled like him. God, she still couldn't believe she'd almost lost him…. seconds later she heard the shower running.

She took her phone from her jacket and climbed into the bed; she texted Stefan, asking him where he was. She waited for an answer, just staring at the phone until the sound of the running water stopped. She put the phone on the night stand next to her, giving it one last look.

"So, how are you…" she started once she heard the bathroom door open, but the words got stuck in her throat when she saw a half naked Damon appearing in front of her; the only thing between her eyes and his completely naked body was a small white towel around his waist.

"I'm sorry, I thought you'd be gone by now," he apologized and Elena moved on the bed uncomfortably, doing her best to tear her eyes away from him…but she couldn't deny herself the feast. So she was in a relationship; that didn't make her blind.

"I'll go put some clothes on," he said and all Elena could do was nod.

Using his vampire speed he was by the closet in a split second and he soon disappeared back into the bathroom.

Elena blinked a few times and started breathing again.

"You can go home, Elena. I'll be fine. I promise I won't do anything stupid!" he said, coming back towards the bed. He climbed on the other side of it and turned to her, "I won't run away."

"I'm going to stay. I want to stay to make sure you're still here when I wake up in the morning," she said.

"I'm sure I'll be as good as new after a few hours of sleep."

"Would you stop, just stop! Damn it, Damon, stop pushing me away! Don't you get it? I'm not going anywhere…I will always be here for you…always," she yelled, leaving Damon speechless. "Now stop being a baby! I think this enormous bed of yours is big enough for the both of us, but if you want, I can sleep in the arm-chair or on the floor, as long as I'm in the same room as you."

"No…I…you can stay here…" he muttered.

She pulled the covers over them and turned off the lamp on her side.

"Good night, Damon," she whispered.

"Good night, Elena."

They were both lying at opposite sides of the bed, as if they were trying to avoid catching a mortal disease from one another…but their hands met in the middle of the bed and their fingers tangled, holding on tight.

By the time Elena fell asleep, Damon had never been more awake in his life – or undead life. He was listening to the most amazing sound in the whole universe, Elena's heartbeat and her quiet breathing. The events of the night replaying in his mind over and over again….

She'd told him she liked him, just the way he was…and then…then she'd kissed him, she had fucking kissed him. But then again, she'd thought he was dying, so…that was so like Elena Gilbert, to do something sweet for someone who was dying, even if they didn't deserve it.

Katherine got free and she still came to bring him the cure; she didn't just run away like she usually did as soon as she got the chance; she came back, to save him. Had she really said she loved him? Yeah, she'd said she loved them both, not just Stefan…she'd loved him too. Why did it matter anyway? She had still ruined his life.

Before he had the time to figure everything out, he fell asleep, listening to the rhythmic sound of the heart he 'lived' to protect…the heart that belonged to his brother…or did it?

Stefan was looking at the man holding the car-door open for him to get in. Klaus was already inside watching his every move, like he was always watching him now…but it didn't matter, because nothing mattered anymore.

He removed the phone from his pocket and stared at it for a few seconds. There was a picture of him and Elena on the wallpaper, they were smiling …but he felt nothing, looking at it…. He walked to the car and just before he got in, he let the device drop to the ground at his feet; the door closed with a short click and he could see the proud smile on Klaus's face out of the corner of his eye.

The driver started the engine and the car departed with screeching tires… one of the tires ran over Stefan's phone, breaking the screen in a million pieces.

Stefan knew he would never come back to this town again, but he didn't even take a last look at the town that he had once called home. He came here in search of a life and he was leaving it in search of death. He didn't care about anything or anyone anymore, he didn't feel any pain, he didn't feel any regret, he felt simply … nothing. The only thing he wanted to do now was to rip someone apart until its body was no longer recognizable, because nothing mattered anymore …nothing.

Katherine stopped running only when she got to her destination. She knocked on the door a few times before someone opened it at a crack small enough to be able to see who was on the other side.

"Is your master home?" Katherine asked, and the young girl tilted her head to one side, watching the vampire with an inquiring look.

"Who's asking?" the girl wanted to know.

"Tell him Katerina's here to see him!" she answered and a man appeared behind the blonde girl.

"You've got some nerve showing up on my doorstep, Katerina," the man said.

"I need your help, Adney… Klaus broke the curse…" she whispered.

"Let her in, my dear!" he told the girl.

"Please, come in!" she said and Katherine stormed inside.

"I suppose you know where my father is right now?" the man asked and Katherine nodded and pulled a small red handkerchief from her pocket.

N: So this is it for the first chapter. As you probably figured out, Stefan turned off his emotions while Damon has too many. Now to explain a bit why Elena didn't just jump up to go rescue Stefan; well, because, first she was still in shock from almost losing Damon, then Katherine storming in with a cure telling her she loves them both; she trusts Stefan to take care of himself; she doesn't know they are about to leave town and she's smart enough to know they wouldn't stand a chance against Klaus at this time.

Now, I do have one request to you, if you like it, please review and tell me, since I don't get paid for it, your words are the only thing pushing me to write and I really want your opinion on it! I have many stories in progress and I don't want to neglect them writing this if no one likes it.