She was sitting on the couch of the boarding house, moving her hands up and down her thighs like she was trying to comfort herself somehow. But no matter what she did she couldn't take her mind off of the fact that Damon and Stefan were out there facing Markos and the travellers while she was doing nothing but waiting for someone to walk in and finally tell her if they won or lost. And if they lost...with what consiquences?

Her heart drummed uncontrolably inside her chest at the thought that something could go wrong. Suddenly the door of the house opened and Bonnie walked in with a expression that didn't give away much about the kind of the news that she was about to tell Elena.

"Bonnie, thank God! Tell me what happened? Where are Damon and Stefan? Are they comming home? Are they okay?" Elena walked close to her friend with a worried look on her face and grabbed her shoulders waiting for an answer. Bonnie hesitated a little before talking.

"Something like that." Elena was starting to get pissed. Was Bonnie playing with her? Couldn't she see how scared Elena was? Couldn't she give her a clear answer?

"Bonnie what do you mean 'something like that'? Did they kill Markos or not?"

The black girl looked first at her friend and then down at the floor. She had to tell her what happened, but she wasn't ready to see her break...and she knew that this would happen. She walked further in the living room until she was facing the fire place while she turned her back to Elena - who was now ready to freak out.

"They killed Markos." Bonnie stated and waves of joy travelled through Elena's body and she let a sigh of releaf.

"But that's good news. I thought that something bad happened..." She stopped talking and her body froze. "Except if something bad did happen."

Bonnie closed her eyes tight before turning around to face her friend who was begging her with her eyes to just drop whatever she had to say and put her out of the misery of waiting. What she didn't know was that what Bonnie had to say would only bring her more misery...maybe more than she could handle.

"Oh my God. It's Damon isn't it? What happened to him?" Tears started rolling down her cheeks. She couldn't bare the thought of him being hurt.

"Stefan called me. He's comming home...alone. Damon is not comming back.." What did she mean he was not comming back? Damon wouldn't leave her, she knew that. Except if..no, no she couldn't even go there...just the thought was killing her on the inside. But what if it was true?

"Stop doing that. Just tell me what happened for Christ's shake. I'm scared." Elena yelled.

"Alright."

Earlier

"Is it done? Is he dead?" Liv asked with a trembling voice. She looked exhausted. She had used all her power to take Markos down but she wasn't sure if she really killed him. The only thing sure was that he had no travellers to protect him anymore. Stefan looked Markos's body - which was now laying in the middle of the street - in disbelief as he moved closer to it until he reached it.

Everything else happened in the blink of an eye. Markos suddeny oppened his eyes and grabbed Stefan by his neck. He was ready to drive a wooden stake through his heart but Damon got there fast and pulled Markos away from his brother. Damon grabbed Markos's neck and started puting presure while his usual smirk appeared on his face as he saw the leader of the travellers being powerless against him. He had almost finished him off when Markos with the last bit of strength that he had in him drove the stake through Damon's heart and then dropped dead as he couldn't fight any longer. Damon's eyes oppened wide as he felt the pain in his entire body. It felt like every vein in him was turning completely dry. He fell on his knees but before the his body crushed the cold ground Stefan's arms were around him.

"No, no, no. Damon! No! Please! Damon!" He kept on yelling until there was no longer light in Damon's eyes. He held his brother's lifeless body like it was the most precious thing on earth as tears started escaping his eyes. He couldn't be dead. He thought of all this times he thought he hated Damon and wanted to kill him...but he didn't mean it once. He was all he had after all..and now that he had lost him forever it felt like there was no world for him.

Damon watched his brother holding his body and he wished he could ease his pain but he knew that if the same thing had happened to him he wouldn't react any different. So he just stood there and watched silently. A part of him was happy. He had died to save his brother. He felt like he owed him that. And not to mention that Elena would now be safe. He didn't care that he wouldn't be a part of their happy lives. He would be watching over them and he would be happy for them. He looked at his brother one last time and then started walking away. He had to find Bonnie.

Now

"Markos killed him?" It came out of Elena's mouth as a whisper. The room around her started spinning and her knees got weaker and weaker until they couldn't hold her any longer, so she just fell on the floor. She held her chest as she felt like her heart had stopped beating in it. Her eyes were wide oppened and her fear was painted all over her face. Bonnie ran next to her and put her arms around her to comfort her...Elena just let her.

"Elena I'm sorry." Bonnie finally said.

"No...no..NO!" She yelled and got out of Bonnie's arms. "He can't be dead! You're lying! He will walk through that door soon!" The inshanity in her voice scared Bonnie so much. She was in denial. She couldn't accept Damon's death. "Bonnie..he..he can't be gone." She was sobbing and her eyes were red because of the tears that were burning in them.

Damon doesn't exist anymore. He won't come back. He doesn't exist. He can't come back. Were the only things that she kept on repeating in her head as she felt like a hundred of daggers were driven through her body.

"Bonnie help her." The black girl heard a husky voice saying. She turned her head to the direction that the voice was comming from and she saw him. His blue eyes were full of pain and it was obvious that he was holding back his tears.

"Elena...he's here." Bonnie whispered. Elena started looking around trying to find him. She desperately needed to see him, touch him...she wanted to burry her face in his chest like she had done countless of times in the past while he held her tight...she felt so safe in his arms. But now he would never be there again to hold her like this. She was so scared.

"Don't go. Please...don't leave me." Elena cried and Damon walked until he was standing in front of her but she was looking through him...she wasn't able to see his blue eyes that were burning hers with so much love in them...or feel his hand, that now moved to touch her cheek. He looked at Bonnie who was watching them while tears fell down her eyes.

"Tell her everything is going to be okay." Damon begged. "Tell her that I love her and that I will be missing her every day as well...but she has to be strong. She will survive this and she will get to be happy again. Tell her that I'm happy too...I died to protect her and Stefan. It was worth it." He gave Bonnie a sad smile as she repeated his words to Elena. Elena kept on crying while listening what Damon had to say.

"I love you too..." she whispered between sobs. She couldn't bring herself to say anything else.

It was all he needed to hear. There wasn't something that would make him any happier in the wrold than to hear that she loved him.

"Just promise me you won't forget me...that's all I need from you." He said as he almost forgot that she couldn't hear him. But Elena didn't react and he turned to face Bonnie and she nodded and then transfered his words to Elena.

"How can I ever forget you? I won't...I promise." And it was true. Damon came into her life like a tornado. He made her question everything, he challenged her and pushed her to her limits. By his side she became independent and confident...but the most important thing was that she felt alive. Now she had to go...and there would only be a hole inside her heart that no one else could fill...because she knew that there wouldn't ever be anyone quite like him to take his place. No one would ever be what he was for her. But she had to let go.

"Thank you." Then after giving her one last look he walked towards Bonnie. "I'm ready he said."

"Is he leaving?" Elena asked and Bonnie stopped her hand from meeting Damon's in order to pass him to the other side.

"Yes." Bonnie said with a trembling voice.

"Did it hurt? Dying...did it hurt him?" She needed to know even if it didn't matter anymore.

The truth was that Damon had never felt more pain in his life but he wouldn't tell her. He needed to make it as easy as possible for her.

"Not one bit." He sighed. After Bonnie informed Elena of his answer, Elena smiled as a tear rolled down her eye. Damon looked at her and then back to Bonnie.

"Tell my brother that I...I'll miss him..and that I want him to be happy."

"I will." The girl said and then she added "Goodbye Damon." She united her hand with his and screamed in pain as he passed through her on the other side.

Later

"Look who turned all soft." Damon heard a familiar voice saying.

"You've got to be kidding me." He said before turning back to see the man who was standing behind him.

"Did you miss me?" Alaric said and Damon smiled as he oppened his arms to hug his friend. "I wanted my drinking buddy back." Damon said and moved away from the hug.

"Just so you know... you didn't screw it up. She's going to miss you but.. you saved them all. You protected her and your brother.. and the kids." Damon felt happy and a litle proud... he didn't remember ever feeling proud of himself. But dying a hero even he always refused he was one made his life worth something and he was glad it ended this way.

"Come on let's go drink something." Damon said to his friend and they walked together out of the Salvatore boarding house.