Anastasia smiled and said "I am glad to have met you and all that jazz." Damon laughed and replied "Me too." She said "I hope that I can see you again someday." He replied "Me too. I know that someday you will find a way to see me and Kiara again."
She smiled and then it disappeared as she said "I know you're secret." He asked "What?" She whispered "I know your vampire secret and thank you for not telling me in fear of frightening me."
He replied "Thank you for not telling anyone and you are welcome for that." She smiled and then Kiara came back in the room. Kiara looked at her mother and asked "Who's going to take care of me when you're gone?" Anastasia looked at Kiara and replied "Damon is going to be your guardian until you move on with your life." Kiara looked at him and he smiled and nodded.
She hugged her mom and whispered "But I will miss you forever mommy." Anastasia replied "I know but I will still be watching over you from wherever I go." Damon looked at Anastasia and then at Kiara before he said "I promise you Kiara that the pain and heartbreak will get easier to deal with over time. I have lived for a while and have learned that from personal experience." Anastasia nodded and said "He is right Kiara." Damon nodded and Kiara looked at them as tears slid down their cheeks.
Anastasia looked at Kiara and said "Damon will explain my wishes to you when you get older but until then after my funeral he will have custody over you." Kiara nodded. They spent the rest of the day sharing goodbyes and telling each other meaningless things. As Anastasia neared death she looked at the nurse and said "Have my daughter wait outside until I am gone."
The nurse nodded and Kiara hugged her mom one last time. Anastasia kissed her as she returned her hug. She whispered "I love you Kiara Ariel Brown." Kiara said "I love you to mom." They shared their last embrace before the nurse took Kiara outside. Damon looked at her as tears slid down his cheeks. She said "After the funeral I want you to choose where I be buried."
He replied "I will have your body preserved until Kiara is old enough to understand your will and then I will have her decide on Covington or Mystic Falls." Anastasia nodded and said "I want you to do that then." He nodded and replied "I love you brother Salvatore." He said "I love you too sister Brown." She laughed and it turned into a cough. He kissed her forehead and she nodded as he left the room. He saw a doctor rush in and Damon held Kiara. With his vampire enhanced hearing he heard the doctor say "Time of death 10:23am."
The doctor came out and Kiara started crying and Damon now knew how Stefan felt when he had lost Lexi. Damon spent the next few days in agony as the funeral preparations were made. The vampire side of tried to get him to turn his emotions off but he had kept them on for Kiara and her only.
He wondered how Elena was going to react when he returned to Mystic Falls. Part of him hoped that she had moved on and a part of him hoped that he could give her another chance and chose to stay with her this time. He wondered how she took care of herself and what she was doing now.