AN: Final chapter! I hope it doesn't feel rushed or anything. I updated quicker than I thought I would, but, hallelujah, writer's block as finally lifted. Picks up right were last chapter ends.

Enjoy!


As Damon absentmindedly twirled the ring around his wife's finger, his mind drifted to Bonnie's earlier revelation.

"Bonnie and Jeremy, huh?" he mused. "Well, at least it isn't Caroline," he laughed as he thought of Jeremy and Caroline together. He'd dated the blonde and knew full well what she was capable of doing to any sane person. He knew that Jeremy couldn't handle it; hell, he wasn't able to handle it. She'd drive any man crazy.

"You don't have to be a jackass," a small voice said.

"You would take her side," he countered quickly. His eyes popped open and he mouth fell open as he realized where the voice had come from. He turned his eyes to look at his now awake wife.

"Elena?"


Elena stared back at Damon as a flood of emotions passed over his all too beautiful face. She became more confused as his pretty eyes filled with tears.

"What?" she asked before a cough ripped from her throat. She tried to swallow, but found her mouth to be completely dry. Damon, now out of shock, ran to the bathroom to fill a paper cup with water. Elena drank drank slowly as she settled back into her pillows. She finished and handed the cup to Damon, who threw it in the trash. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She opened her eyes as Damon's hands captured her face. She jumped in surprise as he lay feather-light kisses on her cheeks and forhead. Finally, he landed on her lips. This kiss wasn't featherlight, more like molten lava. It was long and deep; her mouth was tingling and hot, but she didn't want it to ever end. He pulled away as he tried to steady her breathing. It was the most beautiful kiss; she felt like crying.

"My God," he declared as he looked into her brown eyes. "You're awake." His words were filled with disbelief but his face was full of relief. She began to admire his face, feeling as though she hadn't seen it in so long. His strong jaw and beautiful, soft lips that felt like heaven on her skin. His wonderfully blue eyes that seemed to swallow her and take her deep into his soul.

"I'm in a hospital," she stated as she manuevered her arms to show off the IVs and tubes connected.

"Yeah, do you remember anything?"

"I remember our amazing sex," she blushed as a wide, cocky grin shown on his face. "The traffic light, and... oh, and the those annoyingly bright lights, and that's it."

Panic shot throught her body. "What about Grayson? Where is he?"

"Grayson's perfectly fine," he said as he glided his hand up and down her arm. "He's at home with Stefan."

"Stefan?" She was more than confused now. Damon hated Stefan; hated him. Why was he letting him be around Grayson? He sure hadn't been up to it the first time she'd suggested he get to know his uncle.

"Yeah," he said softly, "Stefan and I, we're gonna give this brother thing another go. He's visited every other day and it's been... I don't know, nice I guess to see him. He was the first one besides Jenna to come to the hospital." She like this new development; Damon and Stefan hadn't spoken since Damon had stayed with him for a while during their separation. Damon's eyes drifted towards the floor as he rubbed circles on her arm with his thumb.

"Are you okay, Damon?" she asked.

"I'm fine, Elena. I didn't get hit by a car."

She didn't miss the slight angry tone he used when refering to his own well-being, so she decided on changing the subject she said, "How long have I been here?"

"A week," he deadpanned. She began to think of all the things she'd missed while being comatose for a week; Jenna was no doubt a wreck and Ric was, well, Ric (calm in a crisis), and poor Grayson had to be without his mommy for a week.

Damon began to stand from his chair, but Elena grabbed his arm, pulling him down. "Where're you going?"

"Relax, love," he said as brushed his lips across her forhead. "I've gotta let the nurses know that you are finally awake."

Damon walked to the end of the bed and pressed a red button on the wall. A few minutes later, a nurse and doctor came into her room. They listened to her breathing, heartbeat, and checked to responses on all of her limbs, as well as the response of her eyes to light.

"Everything looks spectacular, Mrs. Salvatore. Do you feel any discomfort?" The doctor probed her stomach and sides with his fingers as he checked for still broken bones. As he neared her rib area, a hiss erupted from Elena's lips and she jerked away from his touch.

"I can see that you still have some bruising on the ribs, but other than that everything is moving along smoothly. You might even get to leave by next week, even." He gathered his clipboard and stethescope, nodded to Damon and Elena before exiting the room.

"Next week," Elena breathed a sigh of relief as Damon returned to his spot next to her. He gently squeezed her shoulder, careful to watch for bruises, and kissed her forhead.

"He said 'by' next week, so it could be sooner," he corrected as he took her hand in his.

"How's my baby?" she asked as she turned dark, brown doe eyes to his ice, blue orbs.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking," he said waggling his eyebrows at her suggestively. Elena adjusted herself in the bed and giggled.

"Not you, goofy. I meant Grayson."

"Well," he began. A deep sorrowful look encased his features and Elena's stomach flip-flopped inside her.

"What? What's wrong?" she prodded as her eyes became wild with terror.

"Brace yourself," he says as his eyes latch onto hers. "Our son, well, he's discovered Dr. Seuss."

Her eyebrows knit together as she smacks his arm. "What the hell, Damon? I thought it was something serious."

"This is serious, Elena. He's driving me crazy with the constant ridiculous rhyming." He raked his hand through his dark hair and shook his head.

"It's just a phase, Damon. Dr. Seuss teaches creativity," she said. "You'll be okay, love, it's only temporary." Her arms now free of IVs and tubes - thanks to the good doctor - she palms his cheek and rubs her thumb along the length. His hand lifts to cap over hers, he encircles his fingers around her small hand and brings her palm to his lips.

"Temporary? We did say forever, right?" he breathes onto her palm before placing light kisses into it.

"We sure did," she replies as she lies back into the bed, loving his gentle kisses.

"I love you, Elena."

"I love you, too, Damon." He kisses her palm once more before letting their entangled fingers rest on the bed. She needs rest and Damon is willing to let her sleep for a few hours; he needed to make a few phone calls.


After informing Jenna, Ric, Bonnie, Jeremy, Caroline, and every other person Elena had made eye-contact with that she was now awake, he decided on buying a heap of coffee. He'd settled on a Starbucks that wasn't far from the hospital and quickly purchased his coffee and returned to the hospital. When he arrived, Elena wasn't in her room. Panic racked his body as he dropped the coffee to the floor. He ran into the room and searched the bathroom, but found nothing. Whoever had moved her was a dead man walking, he thought as he ran to the front desk.

"Can I help you, sir?" A nice looking receptionist asked.

"My wife, Elena Salvatore, isn't in her room. Has she been moved?"

"According to our records," she said she stared at her computer screen. "No, sir, she hasn't been moved."

"Dammit," he cursed under his breath.

"Oh, sir, isn't that her?" He followed to woman's pointed finger and, sure enough, Elena was being wheeled around the waiting room.

"What the hell, Stef?" He cursed as he strolled over to them, trying to keep his cool.

"I got here and Elena was awake, but you were gone; we took a little trip around the hospital." Stefan's green eyes widened in innocence. Damon stepped forward and pryed his brothers hands from the handles and wheeled Elena back to her room.

"I just wanted to see the nursery, Damon," she said as Damon helped her back into bed. "It isn't Stefan's fault, I asked."

"Well," he said as he tucked the blankets around her, "you could've waited for me to take you."

"You don't like babies," she deadpanned, cocking an eyebrow at him.

He rolled his eyes and wheeled the chair into a corner. "Besides the point." Stefan stood awkwardly in the doorframe as the love of his life and his brother had a small lover's spat. His heart clenched in his chest, but he fought it. She was happy and Damon certainly was. They were good together; everything Damon wasn't, Elena was. They complemented eachother perfectly. It made him happy to see Elena so happy. Knowing that his presence was no longer needed he decided to excuse himself.

"Okay, well I gotta run," he said as he turned in the doorframe. Elena jabbed her elbow at Damon and tipped her head towards Stefan. Damon rolled his eyes and sighed.

"How about you stay for a while," he said. "I'm sure Caroline will be eager to see you." Damon relished in the fact that even though he was softening a bit, his sarcasm was top notch.

"I'll be out here," Stefan said as he left the room. Damon turned his attention back to Elena, who was giving him a glare that made his body shiver.

"What?" he asked as he shifted in his seat.

"You didn't have to mean about it," Elena replied. She watched as the corners of his lips curved into a michevious smile; one that was so Damon, she thought. The smile lifted until the corners of his eyes crinkled and a laugh escape his soft lips.

"You gotta admit, it was funny," he said. Elena glared at him and he lifted his palms in mock-surrender.

"I cannot wait to get home," Elena said as she quickly changes the subject. "I feel like I've been gone for months."

A serious look encroached Damon's features as he swallowed the sudden lump in his throat.

"Elena," he cleared his throat, "I just want you to know that I love you so much. I came so close to losing you again and I couldn't take it. The night you kicked me out, I sat on the porch until well into the night listening to you cry. It broke my heart to know that I had done that to you. All I've ever tried to do is to prove that I am deserving of someone like you, Elena. I know I can't make up for my past actions, and..." He trailed off as his words choked in his throat. Elena was shocked at Damon's sudden vulnerability but didn't interrupt him.

"I know that we've had our differences and that I can be an asshole most of the time, but I will do whatever it takes to keep you and Grayson for as long as you want me." Damon's eyes glistened as lay his chest open in front of her.

Elena became suddenly aware of the tears that were running down her own face. "You're right," she said as she wiped tears away, "you are an asshole most of the time and sometimes we fight, but I love you way too much to let you being you get in the way of what we have. As for what you can do; you just did it, Damon. All I wanted of you was to open up to me and let me in and you did that. And, if you haven't heard already, I want you forever. No take-backs; ever. You never lost me, Damon. You lost yourself and it took you finding you to bring you back to me; finally." Elena winced as she sat up in the bed and wrapped her small hands around Damon's neck and pulled him to her. He didn't fight her; quite frankly after spilling his guts like that, he felt he deserved a kiss or two.

"This, right here, is what I want for the rest of my life," Elena breathed against his tingling lips. She was driving him crazy and he couldn't take it anymore. Without any further invitation, Damon pressed his lips to her and kissed her hungrily. The kiss was long and passionate, neither letting go until oxygen was necessary.

After catching his breath, Damon sighed. "Do I get to move out of the guest room now?" Elena laughed at his joke and latched her lips onto his again; kissing away every worry she'd ever felt about their relationship. This was her forever; Damon and Grayson were her forever and she felt a weightlessness pass over her as a boulder lifted from her shoulders. Damon's lips were soft against hers and she moaned into them, getting completely lost. As her body took over, Damon felt her shift on her bed as she tried to move into his lap. He pulled pack suddenly and rubbed the outside of her thighs.

"Patience, grasshopper. We'll get to the good stuff when we finally get home." Elena's bottom lip popped out into a pout as she let out a dramatic hmph.

"Eager are we? Well, you just gotta wait. When we get home, I'm gonna rock your world," he said as he grinned suggestively at him. Elena's heart fluttered in her chest; she loved this man in front of her desperately; more than words could convey. He was her everything and drove her crazy. He had a hold on her heart and he knew it; he was her only one; forever.

'Cause you're all I want,

You're all I need,

You're everything.


The End. I hope you enjoyed the ride while it lasted, I know I did. If you like my fics then you should check out my new story; Congratulation On The Mess You Made Of Things. Thank you all for everything; I truly appreciate all of the reviews, favorites and alerts. I'm not creative by nature, so the reception I received was quite overwhelming. From the bottom of my Damon-lovin' heart, thank you!

Disclaimer: Obviously, by now, you know that I own zip, zilch, nada of the Vampire Diaries.

Ending song: Everything by Lifehouse