AN: For a 100 fanfic challenge. My word: Sunrise. Goes off of the events in 'As I lay Dying' when Damon tries to kill himself.

Damon stood outside on the balcony, doing his best to ignore the pain shooting down his arm and through his entire body. He wouldn't have to feel it anymore after this. He took of his daylight ring, held it in his hand, and waited for the sunrise.

It will be better for everyone, he reminded himself. It will just get it over with and everyone could move on.

Truth is, Damon was losing hope. He didn't necessarily want to die even though he did deserve it. He thought of Elena and how much she has lost in just the past year. Her Aunt Jenna had just died and now Damon was about to follow.

I'm sorry, Elena. I'm sorry that I couldn't stop this and I'm sorry how much I've hurt you. I wish I could stop this, but everyone knows there's no cure for a werewolf bite. I wish I could hear you say the words, "I forgive you" but they wouldn't be real.

Then Damon thought of his friend Alaric. Alaric too had just lost Jenna, the woman he loved. The woman who gave him life after Damon had taken his previous wife away from him. Despite all of that, the two actually were becoming close friends. Alaric was the only one who truly understood Damon.

I'm sorry, Alaric that I took away what meant most to you. You didn't deserve that. I wish I could take it all back, but that's impossible. But after everything I've done, you still become the person I trust most.

Finally, Damon thought of his younger brother, Stefan. He is the one who he'd caused the most pain to, yet the one who still loved him the most.

I'm sorry Stefan for everything. I hurt you the most, and in return, I got a caring younger brother who was looking for help from his older brother, but never received any. I wish I could take back all those moments that you and I literally tried to kill each other. I wish we could have spent more time together as brothers, and less time as enemies. I try not to believe that our feuding started over some woman who may I add…turned out to be a real bitch. She wasn't worth it. I just wish I realized that sooner.

Damon sighed and looked up at the sky which was now turning from light gray, to a light pink. The sun was rising.

Damon turned the daylight ring in over in his palm several times before making his final decision: he stopped turning it, held it in the palm of his hands, and threw it off the balcony. He again ignored the pain that this caused in his arm.

Its better this way," he reminded himself.

The sun began to peek up, and once it did, Damon felt the burns begin to form on his skin. He heard his skin begin to sizzle and he closed his eyes, reminding himself that this pain will be over a lot sooner than the werewolf bite.

It was the easy way out.

He caught fire but the unbearable burns didn't last long because as soon as he closed his eyes again, he never reopened them.

The sunrise had done its job, and finally, Damon had gotten his wish. He was gone.

End