It all happened so fast, I screamed as Stefan's body hit the ground, Jack already long gone. I rushed over to where he had fallen, his eyes already glazing over 'Stefan Salvatore don't you dare leave me' I pleaded 'we were meant to have forever together, you promised. Please I love you my darling' I added silently to him.

'Elena' even his minds voice sounded weak, I was losing him 'Elena, I love you too you know that but there's nothing that can be don't, don't make yourself weak love'. He was giving up, I wouldn't let him give up, I forced every ounce of my guardian power that I could into him but the black hollowness of the stake just swallowed it up as quickly as I could give it. 'Elena promise me something; promise me that you will be happy. Never forget how much I love you, you deserve to be loved' I felt his consciousness brush against mine in a loving but last goodbye.

'Maybe if we pull the stake out he can heal' suggested Bonnie staring at him, her eyes wet.

'That wouldn't do any good' said Meredith 'The stake has already done the damage, removing it will only speed up the process' she added solemnly, her dark eyes swimming with tears. She and Stefan had been allies, two hunters on a mission for years of course she was going to be upset. It didn't matter that Stefan had been the very thing she was supposed to hate, he was her friend.

'There must be something we can do' I pleaded with them. 'Anything, Bonnie isn't there some sort of spell you could do to reverse it?' I asked, desperate to save him.

'I'm sorry Elena but I don't think there's a spell for this sort of thing' she answered in a whimper.

'But there must be something we can do, anything. We can't just let him die. Please Stefan you are the love of my life, I love you please…' It was no use I felt him slip away from me both physically and mentally 'I love you' I whispered softly and turned away, unable to contain my grief any longer. I crumbled, tears streaming down my face. Damon took me in his arms and stroked my hair soothingly, my tears staining his expensive jacket.

Stefan was gone. I would never have his leaf-green eyes fall on me again, his face so full of love or have his mind connect with mine in a special way that only me and him shared, feel the strong comfort of his arms around my waist pulling me into a loving embrace and making me feel untouchable, like nothing could break me. Nor the feeling of his cool lips press against mine as he kissed me and caressed my cheek, his fingers running through my hair sending tingles down my spine. All of it, everything I lived for…gone in an instant. I was just an empty shell without him.

I kept half expecting him to walk through the door, a smile on his perfect face and a glint in his beautiful eyes but that wasn't going to happen, not anymore.

I refused to see what my friends had done to him, I didn't want to believe he was really dead and I almost didn't go to his 'funeral' but Damon insisted that I say goodbye to Stefan properly. So I did.

His body had been wrapped in white silk, my voice caught in my throat when I saw him but I was all cried out, my eyes were red-raw from having tears continuously fall.

My friends, our friends, each said something about him and how he had made a change in their lives and each dropped a handful of dirt into the grave, each one making a low thud as it hit its precious contents, I squeezed Damon's hand and shut my eyes trying to remember the warm, loving Stefan, whom I loved and not the shell of a man who had been brought down so violently but it was no use my mind was filled with the last images I saw of him, his eyes moving beneath his lids, the feeling of him slipping away from me every second and the blackness of the stave that had pierced him, swallowing him up.

Then it was my turn to speak, I wasn't holding dirt in my hand instead I held my apricot ribbon, the one I had lost on the first day of school. The one Stefan had found and kept safe until I found him. I had no use for it now and I wanted him to have a piece of me to take with him to wherever it was he was going so he would know he would always have me even though now we weren't together physically. I threw it down and it floated down and landed smoothly on the silk. 'Goodbye my darling Stefan' I whispered 'I'll always love you, forever' I turned away and Alaric filled in the rest of the grave.

The place where Matt and Alaric had chosen to lay him to rest was beautiful. There were tall pine trees with snow-capped mountains in the background. The grave itself was beside a river which flowed down and met the small trickle of a waterfall. It was peaceful; I knew Stefan would have liked it.

Just then Damon appeared behind me and took my hand in his, I turned to face him. He'd been crying, I knew this but didn't say anything instead I said 'He missed you, he told me' Damon sighed.

'I know. I missed him too' he answered quietly 'It's strange; I spent so many years hating him. Not that it was always that way, back when we were children we were inseparable although Stefan was out fathers favourite, except when he was taking the blame for something that I had done. He took the punishments our father gave out and yet never admitted that it was my fault. I never got the chance to thank him for it.'

'I think you just did' I replied softly.

'Elena there's something I have to tell you' he said when we got back to my apartment and he explained what he had found out about what Jack really was. A new type of vampire that was able to escape detection from any power source, was able to walk in direct sunlight without the use of a Lapis Lazuli ring and were immune to having a stake through the heart, like the ones that had attacked him and Katherine ending in Katherine being killed and now that Stefan had also died Damon was next, the last 'old type' of vampire left in existence. I stared at him.

'So how are we supposed to stop him if he can't be killed by staking him and snapping his neck only puts him out for a few minutes?' I asked.

'Right now I have no idea' Damon admitted ' But Elena I swear to you that I am going to keep you safe, as my last promise to my brother, no harm will come to you.'

'Damon don't do anything stupid, you're in more danger than I am at the moment. I won't be able to cope if I lose Stefan and you. Please be careful.' I pleaded. He cupped my face in his hands and stroked my cheeks with his thumbs.

'I promise you Elena that I will be careful. I'm not going anywhere' he kissed my forehead and made to leave, I grabbed his hand.

'Stay with me?' I asked 'I don't think I'd be able to sleep in that big empty bed on my own, at least not tonight' he simply nodded in agreement and lay next to me on top of the duvet his arms wrapped around me gently, cradling me against his chest as I fell into an un easy sleep.

I would get revenge on Jack for killing Stefan. One way or another he would get what was coming to him for taking Stefan away from me. I would make him pay for what he had done…somehow.

I awoke that morning with Damon's arms wrapped around me. My initial thought was how could have done that to Stefan but then it all came flooding back, how me and my friends had spent the eve of our graduation mourning Stefan after we were lead to believe that all the threats against us were gone, little did we know that the biggest threat was right in front of our eyes. My knees buckled underneath me and I collapsed on the bed, waking Damon 'Elena what's the matter? Is everything alright?' he asked quickly. I just nodded scared that if I uttered a word then I would break down. I stood up and walked over to my dresser.

'What are you doing?' Damon asked me, a confused look on his face.

'What does it look like, I'm going to the college open day before all the decent courses get filled up' I replied coolly.

'Do you really think that is such a good idea after everything that's happened?'

'Yes actually I do. I am doing exactly what Stefan told me to do; I'm getting on with my life. Now you can come with me or you can stay here and sulk'

Damon sighed and stood up, I beamed at him and rummaged in my drawers looking for my apricot ribbon and then realised I didn't have it anymore, I had to stop doing that…reminding myself that Stefan was gone, the ribbon was now with him. My breath caught in my throat and tears burned in my eyes, I forced them back and instead pulled out a navy blue one instead, Stefan had once complimented me on how it matched my eyes. I checked my appearance again, I looked fairly decent. I turned to Damon and smiled and we headed out the door.

I would keep my promise to Stefan; I would start living my life.

When we arrived at the hall we were immediately met by Bonnie, Matt and Meredith and by questions about how I was feeling and if I had slept at all that night and why I had Damon here with me. So not what I wanted even though of course I knew they all meant well. I walked with Meredith to the stall that had the information concerning our course but then froze still.
'Elena, what's the matter?' I barely heard Meredith's concerned voice but I payed no attention to her because my powers had picked up on a presence in the room, someone was up to no good. I felt Meredith tap my shoulder.
'Elena what's going on?' she asked again, a little louder this time.

'Someone isn't here to sort out their future' I replied and walked off 'I'm going to go check it out' I called over my shoulder 'write my name down will you? Thanks.'

'Elena…' her calls fell on deaf ears as I sent out tendrils of power to try and find the intruder.
'Elena what are you doing?' I stopped and looked around, there was no-one there so I continued. 'Elena stop this, turn around and go back to Meredith.' I turned around and gasped.

Stefan was standing right in front of me, still as breath-taking as ever. His light brown hair gently tousled, his leaf green eyes gazing down at me full of worry and his soft porcelain skin. I stood frozen in place but eventually found my voice, though it was a little hoarse.

'H-how-can you-what's-going on?'

'Elena I know that right now this is a lot to take in' I nodded 'but you have to listen to me, you have to get…' I didn't get to hear the rest of what he had to say because my world suddenly went black.

I woke up to bright light shining directly in my face, I squinted trying to look for someone, I tried to move but a sharp pain shot up my leg, making me be still.

'Don't move' I heard a voice say, it was Stefan again.' Elena I'm sorry if I could have stopped him I would have'

'Stefan what are you talking about?' I asked, my voice shaking slightly.

'Your leg Elena, he did it so you wouldn't escape'

'Who did? Stefan what are you talking about?'

'Well well well, Elena Gilbert so nice of you to drop by' said a familiar voice and out of the shadows stepped Jack. 'You will make a lovely addition to my ranks little guardian' he smiled, showing his enlarged canines.

'Go to hell' I spat at him and he just laughed at me.

'All in good time' he purred and lent down on my injured leg, I cried out and he smiled 'when you're changed you won't have to feel pain anymore Elena, you'd be unstoppable, you wouldn't have to remember anything you didn't want to. Do you not want that?'

'Pain is part of what makes us human jack but of course you seem to have forgotten that' I closed my eyes to keep from crying, if jack killed me then I would be with Stefan and I kept that thought with me the entire time.

The next few moments were mostly a blur. I heard Jack scream out and then a dull thud and a voice call my name…it was Meredith 'Elena! Use your powers on Jack or he'll come back.' I summoned all the power I could even in this weakened state and thrust it into Jack where Meredith had pierced him with her stave.

The next thing I knew I was being scooped up and held against Damon's chest, I slipped into unconsciousness.

'Elena now would be a really good time for you to wake up' I heard Damon's voice in the distance. I groaned, why couldn't they just let me sleep? I awoke in my own bed with Damon looking at me; his ice blue eyes looked troubled.

'What's the matter?' I asked hoarsely.

'Nothing now you're awake' he replied. I tried to move but he stopped me 'you're hurt princess, the less you move the better' he told me so I sank back against the cushions. 'You have nothing to fear now' he continued 'Jack's dead. Properly dead, your guardian power made sure of that' he kissed my forehead. 'I'll leave you to rest' and he slipped out of the room and I closed my eyes.

'I have got to speak with my brother about the kissing' my eyes flew open. Stefan was standing at the foot of my bed smiling; he came round and sat beside me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and cried softly into his chest, he stroked my hair and kissed the top of my head.

He lay next to me while I snuggled into his strong embrace. 'I don't know how I can live without you' I told him.

'You've been doing it all week love' he replied.

'What?' I looked up at him confused. He was here, he was real. I could see him, I could touch him.

'I'm a picture in your mind brought to life Elena, which is why only you can see me. I'm your imagination' he explained.

'Oh I see' I said disappointed, he gently lifted my chin up so our eyes met.

'I'm gone Elena but not completely. I'm always going to be around should you need me and I'll always look out for you' I smiled. That was enough for now because I knew that Stefan would be true to his word and when the time was right then I would join him and we could have our forever.