N: First, I would like to thank everyone that reviewed this story. I tried to answer everyone but for those I couldn't, THANK YOU! After all your great reviews, I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. Enjoy!

PS: Sorry for taking forever to update!

I was fully awake, but I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes. I was afraid the bad dreamI had, might not be a dream after all and if I'd open my eyes I'll know for sure. Technically I knew that I was just being in denial, but at the moment I just wanted to pretend for a little while longer and just…hope.

"Elena…Elena…" I could hear Stefan's gentle voice calling me, but I refused to open my eyes.

"Stefan, I had a bad dream. You were there too…and…Damon…we got there too late. He was…dead, Stefan…dead…" I said in a whisper. He didn't answer, and I knew that could only mean one thing…it wasn't a dream after all. I slowly opened my eyes then; I had to blink a few times, to let my eyes adjust to the light. I raised my hands to my face and noticed that my left hand was bandaged. I covered my face with my hands and started crying, remembering exactly how I got injured. Stefan took a seat on the couch, beside me and a second later I felt his hand on my head, his fingers curling up in my hair, pulling me towards him. I hid my face in the crook of his neck, wrapping my arms around him, holding him close.

"It wasn't a dream…was it?" I didn't wait for an answer. "There has to be something we can do…"

"I don't know, Elena…there is no cure for death… and Damon and I cheated it once before already and I don't think that… I don't think he's going to be able to do it again." he said in my ear, "…I'm sorry…" he added.

I pulled back and stood up. He caught me before I had the chance to meet with the floor on a more personal level.

"Hey, I got you" he said placing me back on the couch. "Where exactly think you're going?" he asked.

"I want to go see John" I answered.

"A few hours ago, you wanted him gone…"

"I know. I still don't want him here or anywhere near Damon."

"Than what do you want to see him for? "

"I need to tell him something" I said and stood up once again. I got dizzy but this time I didn't fall.

"At least eat something before you go – I'll even come with you, alright?"

"I need to do this on my own and I'm not hungry" I said walking towards the door.

"Elena, you lost a lot of blood, you have to eat!"

"Stefan, please don't start with…" the knock on the door interrupted my words. I took a few steps forward and opened the door to see Bonnie standing in the doorway, looking at me confused.

"Bonnie…would you please wait for me here, I need to talk with you. I won't be long" I said, passing her. I was almost in the car when I heard her call me.

"Elena, wait, where are you going?"

I chose to ignore her, got in the car and drove away. I had a feeling that I would find John at my house, so I drove there in record time – breaking a few traffic laws on the way. And I had been right, he really was there. I didn't even have to wait or look for him. He was right there in the kitchen. When he heard me coming in, he raised his head and looked at me with relief.

"Elena, thank God you're ok!"

"Really John…really, do I look ok to you?" I asked, feeling the anger possessing every pore of her body.

"Elena, look…" he started.

"Save it John, I don't want to hear it, whatever you want to say, whatever you do, nothing will ever change what you did…" my voice was getting weaker and choked up as I tried to hold back the tears. "It wasn't enough that you almost killed both of them on Founder's Day…" I took a deep breath, but it didn't work. My voice started shaking and I felt the first tears made their way out of my eyes. "How could you do that? And you call yourself my father…you pretend you care…you knew…killing him would… would hurt me…how could you do that to me?" I asked, yelling at him, walking in his direction.

"I want you to listen to me very carefully John…I never, ever in my life, want to see your face again. I'll get a restraining order…I'll even have Stefan compel you if it gets to that, to make sure I'll never see you again." I turned around, ready to leave, but I stopped in front of the door and turned to face him.

"Oh, and one more thing: when I'll find a way to bring him back, and don't think I won't, if he decides to come after you…and kill you…I promise you, I won't stop him." The last few words came out very calm and collected; not even a threat but a promise instead. As I left the house, I also left a very confused, scared and hurt John Gilbert in the middle of the kitchen.

I got in the car and drove back to the Boarding House. Once inside, I expected Stefan to appear in front of me, but that didn't happen.

"Stefan" I called, but got no answer.

I slowly made my way down to the basement, thinking that that's where Stefan must've taken Damon's body, but it wasn't there…I decided to check Damon's room before freaking out.

I ran up the stairs and stopped in the hallway to catch my breath.

As I stepped inside Damon's room I couldn't help but to stop in the middle of it, looking at the lifeless body resting in the middle of the huge bed. I was feeling tears forming in my eyes again. If not for the gray tone of his skin, I would have thought he was just sleeping; he looked peaceful enough for it. But I knew that he would not jump up to scare me once I got close enough, so I closed the distance between me and his bed and set on the edge, taking Damon's hand into mine.

"You stubborn pain in the ass…you just had to do it, didn't you? You just had to kill Elijah…" I let go of his hand just to wipe away the tears on my cheek, then I took it back.

"Now look what you have done" I raised my hand and touched his forehead, then moved my fingers lower, pushing a hair strand out of his face.

"Who's going to save me now… or rescue me when I do something stupid? " I asked. "You were supposed to be here…to protect me…I had you and you had me…" big heavy tears were falling from my eyes, way too many for me to wipe away, so I just let them fall; down my cheeks, dropping down from my chin, and finally soaking into the material of my t-shirt.

"Damn it Damon, why did you have to do that?" I got closer to him and rested my head on his chest, my hand still holding his…

"Who's going to make me laugh when I don't want to, or tease me just for the hell of it…who's going to do all that now, Damon?" I asked, squeezing his hand.

"What if I can't find a way to bring you back, you idiot…what if I lost you forever?" my voice was braking again, "you saved me from my suicide mission, but I couldn't save you from yours…" I bit my lip to stop a scream; instead I let out a soft moan.

"Do you have any idea how I felt when I walked into the house and saw your body…just lying there…do you?" I looked at him like I was really expecting him to answer. "I tell you how it felt, Damon: it felt like my parents death all over again, it felt like the whole world was falling apart around me and…and I wanted to fall apart with it…so maybe then, the pain would just stop…"

"That's intense…" a voice commented.

I literally jumped up.

"Katherine…how…what are you doing here?"

N: So, what do you think? I hope that after all your kind words I didn't let you guys down…Review and let me know if that's the case!

Also for all the hopeless romantic, twisted, lost, tormented souls out there I'll give you a song to listen after this story: Because you loved me – Celine Dion Hope you'll enjoy it!