Hello everyone :) It's my first fic about VD books. I already wrote about the Tv Show and that's the longest english fic I've ever written - I'm French, so as usual, I apologize for all my mistakes ! :S I entitled this One Shot "Sleeping With Ghosts" because of Placebo's song. If you don't know it, listen to it, it's just amazing ! And you'll understand why I entitled it like that at the end of the fic ! ;)

Nothing belongs to me, except maybe the idea ^^

I hope you'll enjoy !

None of them wanted to turn him into a vampire... He had no choice : Damon Salvatore would remain human. Yeurk. It was disgusting. How could he survive ? He was once one of the most powerful vampire of the earth and now... He could be beaten by... By Stefan ! What a joke ! But what a bad joke... The whole city was in danger and he was unable to protect Elena as she needed to be protected. Maybe Sage could this... Stefan was too weak, he would have to drink human blood if he wanted to pretend to be able to protect Elena.

Damon was obviously not in the mood of talking when he went out to refresh his mind. Elena made a movement in his direction, she felt so sad for him, but Stefan didn't allow her. Damon didn't even notice all that, his senses were so... So weak.

- Damon ? Come back before twilight and don't go in the woods.

- Yeah...

Sage. When was the last time that vampire gave him advices ? Oh right, never. Damon punched into the nearest tree and it didn't the tree, it hurt his hand that was bleeding. He mumbled something, long time ago... No, a few days ago, he would have been attracted by that blood. It just disgusted him now.

Then he decided to walk, through the nature. He didn't care if someone or something harmed him, or killed him. Shinichi or Misao could come, he wouldn't even fight, he lost his faith. That's what he realized when a crow flew above him, shouting. He would never fly again. He would never feel the extreme pleasure of melting his aura with hers, of touching her with all his senses.

But she didn't care, did she ? He angrily thought. She had her Stefan. He was the one who was allowed to touch her silky blond hair, to drown into her blue eyes, to kiss her soft lips...

Damon wanted to scream, to do something to exorcise that feeling... That pain in his heart ! When he was a vampire, he used to kill to feel better but then he changed. Then she made him change and he was... Unable to kill as before. He was a poor human.

- Damon, are you okay ?

Her voice. Her angelic voice. Even if he didn't have his vampire hearing, he could hear she was worried, she really cared ?

- Couldn't feel better. Thanks.

- You're lying..., she said while approaching the beast. Tell me. You know, I can handle...

- No you can't. So get away. I need to think, on my own.

She didn't answer, but didn't make a move as well. She was staring at his eyes dark eyes, trying to read in him. And it was hard. She got closer, if he wanted, he could take her in his arms. But he wasn't sure it was the right thing to do. For once, Damon Salvatore was doubting. And she wiped all away. She took him in her tiny arms and hold him as tight as she could.

- Damon, you... You can trust me, you know.

- I know.

It's me that I don't trust anymore, he thought. He tried hard to send it to her, those words couldn't get out of his throat. She never heard. She released him and walked away to the boardinghouse. He watched her, he knew that somehow, it might have been the last time he would ever see her back.

The blood on his hand had dried. But some wounds couldn't heal as easily. Her scent was still in the air, but he couldn't smell it. He decided to get back home, there was nothing else to do in fact. Nobody welcomed him when he entered the boardinghouse, nobody seemed to notice. He went straight to the room Mrs Flowers had given him.

Nothing had changed since he first got in, as a vampire. The gun with blessed bullets was still there, the window was open, the floor was clean and his cellphone was on the bed. He spread on the couch, sighing. He was already bored. What could he do now ? Die fighting for Fell's Church or leave. If he left, he would possibly find a young woman he could like. They could marry, have babies and... No, no way. It wasn't Damon Salvatore to have a casual family like everybody.

He just couldn't sit and watch. There was too much life in Damon, too much angst and pain. He needed to move, to do something to stop that. Voices were chatting in his head, telling him to go downstairs and steal one last thing to his brother : Elena. But Damon wouldn't steal such a precious jewel. It wasn't because of Stefan, it was because of her : she wasn't an object you can take and get away with. She was a person, she was the most wonderful woman he had ever met. He didn't deserve her. He knew that from the way Stefan cared about her, the way he held her, the way... Damon didn't deserve her, and that was killing him. He took a decision, he knew what to do, now. He called some people he had to and then, he had to end all up.

He snarled, habit I would say. It wasn't as scary as it used to be. He got up, took the gun and went downstairs. When he got in, everybody stared at him as if he had made a huge mistake. Sage was talking with Mrs Flowers, Stefan was holding Elena while she was laughing with Bonnie and Meredith. Everything was great, before he got in. And he felt that.

- Elena, may I talk to you ?

- Uhm... Of course. What's going on, Damon ?

- Outside. Alone.

Stefan looked uptight, Damon showed him the gun and said "In case. Remember, I know how to use it." Stefan released her and she gave the look. It meant "I'll be fine, I know how to take care of myself so don't treat me like a baby." Damon almost smiled, he would have smiled if he hadn't had something else in mind, something dark.

She followed him until they reached some place where Damon thought no vampire in the boardinghouse could hear them. They sat on a dead tree trunk, Damon wanted to talk first, but words didn't seem to want to get out of his mouth.

- What did you want to tell me, Damon ?

- First of all, let me talk. Don't say a word, don't move. I need you to hear... Everything. Right ?

- Okay..., she said with scepticism in her voice.

- I don't want you to say that everything's gonna be okay for me. I'm human now, my heart is beating again, which hadn't happened for ages. It hurts. Then, I lost all my powers, my strength and... That hurts too. But the worst is that I can't fight anymore. I'm useless. I'm a dead weight. Worst than Matt. I don't know how to fight without any vampire abilities. I can't protect you. I won't be able to bear it if I lose you in a battle because I'm not strong enough anymore.

It looked like she was understanding what he was about to tell her. Her eyes slowly widened, her mouth was becoming a perfect "O" and one of her hands tried to reach his.

- I'm leaving, Elena. Tomorrow, I'll be gone. I don't know where I'll go or what I'll do. I wanted to tell you goodbye. Tell Stefan I'm sorry for all I stole from him, perhaps I will steal one more thing, but later. Now I want you to know that I am going to miss you, Elena. I told you things, during our trip to get Stefan back and I guess I don't remember everything we shared because of Shinichi but I want you to remember and to keep me in your memory.

Her hand finally reached his and an electric feel ran through their body. She wanted to control herself, not to cry because she knew it would make things harder for him. She had her beloved Stefan and the temptation of Damon's body was leaving, she should have felt happy, but she couldn't.

- I'm yours Elena, you know it ? And if something happens to me, all my properties are yours too... There's a password to get them. They will ask you one question and you'll have to think carefully about your answer, you know it inside.

- Damon... Why would something happen to you ? You're human now, you're...

- ... I told you to listen. I have lots of enemies. I'm human, as you said, and I'm weak, they can easily kill me. Don't worry, they won't such a thing, I'm sure of it. So, if what I'm telling you happens, remember what I said.

He stopped talking and stared at the sky. There was some white clouds contrasting with the orange purple color of the sky. The night was beginning, and he didn't even feel that coming. Usually, it was the kind of thing he always knew.

- Twilight's coming. You should go back inside the boardinghouse.

- No.

She sounded determined. He didn't look at her, he knew that otherwise he would fail and each decision he made would be obsolete.

- What's in your mind ?

- You. And I. Both vampires. My Princess Of Darkness. But it won't happen.

- Yeah... And you know it wouldn't have been possible... I don't want to be a vampire.

- I know. And I didn't want to be a human again. Some people can chose, some others can't. I'm glad you had the choice, my angel, you deserve it.

She wanted so much to be in his arms. She wouldn't say it aloud, but her blue eyes were begging him. That's what he saw when he finally decided to look at her in the eyes, he wanted to drown a last time in that amazing ocean.

- Come.

He opened his arms and held her. She didn't cry, she didn't want to. The touch of the leather of his jack weirdly reassuring her. It made her feel he was still here with her. But no for long.

- Elena ? Before I leave, I want one last thing. I swear I won't ask anything else but I need.

- Whatever you want, Damon.

It was bizarre, he was asking for things. He used to take things without asking permission, Damon had been like that... But he changed.

Then he parted with her, there was a few inches between them. She closed her eyes and so did he. Their lips touched each other softly. It was a shy kiss that grew wild because of their instinct. They weren't calm persons, they were made to fight for their ideas.

- Elena, I...

But she didn't allow him to say anymore, she was eager She wanted him now, more than anything else. Their body was stuck as if nothing could ever separate them.

- Elena... I love you...

He whispered that when they were both breathing, hating the fact that they needed to breathe to stay alive. She kissed him that time. Their tongues were dancing a sweet ballet and they suddenly tasted something salty. Tears. She was crying both of joy and sadness. His tears were dropping because of the pain of leaving her.

He was the one who interrupted their kiss. Her humid eyes were asking for more, she knew it would keep him with her, seconds or minutes more. She didn't want him to go. And he didn't want to leave her either, but it was the right thing to do. She had Stefan, she would be all right, he tried to persuade himself.

- Elena, my angel, close your eyes. It... It won't take long.

- Damon, please, you don't have to go... You can stay.

- No. Elena, close your eyes... Please.

Her whole body was shaking, she needed him more than usual, and it wasn't going to be better with time. She felt he wasn't holding her anymore, she was about to open her eyes but did not. Maybe he was preparing her a surprise... Maybe he was about to kiss her... Maybe... Maybe... There was lots of "maybe" in Elena's mind...

- Damon, I... Don't go... I'm beggin' you... I... I need you.

- Elena, please, stop it. I can't do this... When you're...

- I love you, Damon, she murmured it as a prayer.

... But none of them had planned what happened. Suddenly, Elena opened her eyes, birds flew away from there and her world was falling apart. She couldn't scream. She couldn't move. She couldn't cry. She couldn't even breathe.

Damon. He was there, lying on the grass. A scarlet liquid was spreading on the soil from his head. Adrenaline ran through her veins and she threw herself to his body, trying to find some signs, meaning there was still hope, somewhere. She realized there wasn't and then she screamed.

Stefan and Sage were the first arrived but she didn't allow anybody to touch neither her nor Damon's body. He was gone. He left her. He said he had to leave, she would have let him go, but not that way... He met Death, for the second time and She got him, straight to Her kingdom.

Through her tears, she smiled. He found peace, he must be in heaven now, she thought. He was a broken angel, fallen from the stars.

Hush, it's okay.

Dry your eyes

Dry your eyes

Soulmate dry your eyes

Dry your eyes

'Cause Soulmates never die...

It's my vision of what could happen to Damon but I hope it won't happen and LJ Smith will turn him back into a vampire ^^

The last lines are Sleeping With Ghosts' lyrics.

Maybe it's not vision, you like it or not, just tell me ! I'd like to hear every point of view ;)

Nyah-Cullen