Elena sat alone in her room, a storm brewing in the distance and sure to hit little Mystic Falls in minutes. The thunder roared with fervor, shaking the house at its very foundation. But the storm was the last thing on her mind. While rain poured in the distance, tears slipped down her cheeks.

Elena's thoughts were vicious and confusing, attempting to decide between an unfulfilling existence and a hard, yet ultimately peaceful end. She had taken apart one of her shavers, tossing the useless plastic and taking the deadly, sharp metal for herself. If she was going to die, it was going to be bloody. Getting her hands dirty was the farthest thing from her mind.

Two people were in that house; it felt so empty and depressing. Alaric was downstairs on the couch, no doubt enjoying a scotch while watching some sports cast. And above him sat Elena. Jenna was dead, Damon had drunk himself into oblivion, and Elena couldn't bring herself to care about Stefan any longer.

But there was still Alaric: her history teacher-turned vampire hunter-turned pseudo uncle-thing-turned whatever he was now. Regardless of what he was, she still loved him. She loved all of them, though she was loath to admit it

Rain started a drop at a time before switching to full-blown sheets of heavy rain and bright lightening. How fitting, she mused darkly. Because it was at that moment, eyes swollen and throat tight, that she picked up one of the thin blades and held it to her wrist. Elena applied enough pressure to draw blood, but she felt nothing.

Just as she was about to pull it the rest of the way, a monstrous clap of thunder roared and the electricity went out. Elena had flung the blade somewhere in her moment of fright, and now there was nothing. Just a bleeding mark and emptiness.

Alaric's footsteps echoed through the hall. A flashlight shone under her door, followed by a knocking.

"Elena, you in there?" he asked, opening the door. She didn't know if she could answer, but she tried he luck.

"Yeah, Ric." Her voice was coarse and strained. A first-class people-reader, Alaric knew immediately that something was wrong with his girl.

The door opened and Elena didn't see the point in covering her scratch. No danger with little lighting. It was starting to bother her, however, that nothing bothered her. She should be freaking out and covering the thing, but she was almost in a zombie-like state. Slowly, though, it was changing.

Alaric walked toward her bed, stopping when the flashlight gleamed against the razor that had flown. When realization hit, he bound to her and reached for her arm. Sure enough, there was the wound. The attempt at taking her life. It nearly broke him.

"Elena, what the hell?!" he asked, struggling to keep his voice down. He had dealt with students self-harming before; losing control only made matters worse. This time was different. This was Elena. HIS Elena.

Elena was battling the tears, the dark reality of what she had tried setting in. Her heart started racing, hands clammy. Alaric's hand felt like fire on her icy skin.

"Ric, I…" she began, but didn't know what to say. A tear slipped down her cheek. She knew that it was just a matter of time before she lost control.

"Sweetheart, it's okay; talk to me," he practically begged. It was still pitch black throughout the neighborhood. Lightning flashed and illuminated each individual cloud in the sky, followed by its loud counterpart.

"I just… I can't do this anymore. Jenna's dead; Jeremy hates me; Damon and Stefan are nowhere to be found, and the only ones who want me want me for my blood. And if that's all gone, I end the cycle." She fought avidly for words before falling apart. Blood still dripped from her wrist to the bed, a dry streak on the underside.

"They're all dead because of me, Ric... Even John. They all died." She sniffled hard. "And now… I want to die, too."

"Baby, no you don't. Sweetheart." His voice was cracking, being on the verge of tears himself. "Elena, I love you so much. I don't want to lose you, too. I can't." A tear slipped down his cheek and onto her hair.

Elena's arms wrapped around him tight as she could and let herself cry. Alaric held her with equal force, stoking her hair as his own tears fell. It was darkly poetic, the two holding each other and sobbing out months of agony and grief. With those tears came an unspoken promise. They had to be strong for each other now, if for nothing else.

Battles that we're never theirs to begin with would now be fought together. Their lives had been littered with sadness and death; with loved ones coming and going. It was one of the many things they shared.

Once they settled down, all that was left was the storm.

Alaric had almost lost Elena tonight. He would keep an eye on her now, just in case. She wouldn't have to go at it alone. No way in hell, he thought as he held her, will I let her die like this; not while I'm still breathing. He had lost her mother to the very thing he despised: wretched, blood-devouring fiends of the shadows. And the same beasts had taken the life of Elena's aunt and his girlfriend. The heartbreak from such a creature wouldn't take Elena, too.

"Baby girl," he whispered in a strained voice, "I love you so much. I will always be here for you. I know you lost a lot; in past months, we both have. I need you to keep hangin' in there, kiddo, because that's what gets me through the day, too, is you kids keeping your heads high through this godforsaken shit storm. Life's dealt a pretty rough hand, but keep your head high and play the cards. There's a light at the end of the tunnel."Alaric slid down on the bed and pulled Elena closer. She was quieter, the occasional sniffle making its way out. Her head rested on Alaric's shoulder, listening to the sound of the artery inside. Her arm was draped over his toned stomach, taking comfort in his breathing. Alaric's arm was around her, rubbing her back slowly.

"I'm sorry, Alaric." Her voice was hushed in shame. "I love you, too. Th-thank you for… everything."

"Just rest, sweetheart. You need sleep." He brought his free hand over to her face and cupped her cheek as he kissed her forehead for a long moment. He stroked her hair soothingly, effectively lulling the exhausted girl to sleep.

Alaric prayed that night, begging for this to never happen again. He thanked the higher power for letting him find Elena when she needed him. Minutes after his prayer, he followed Elena into a deep, dreamless sleep.