It was the exact same thing the second time around. Round up twelve randos and kill them with the magic knife inside the consecrated circle.

Blood streamed down his chin and soaked the front of his shirt. He licked his lips with relish, having drained the last victim almost to death's door before drawing the knife blade across his throat, ending the man's futile struggle for life. He let the body drop to the ground as he surveyed his handiwork. All twelve people dead or bleeding out on their way to dead.

He was finished. Now all that was left was to make his way to Kai, deliver the knife to the psychopath, and wash his hands of the entire affair.

Then it was off to deal with Elena and the aftermath of his actions. No doubt traveling the world together was not an option for the foreseeable future, but he'd win her back. She'd said she loved him. Okay, that was also right before he'd shot her full of vervain and locked her in a cell in the Salvatore basement, so that might not be true anymore, but he'd done it once. He'd find a way to make her love him again. He had to. He refused to consider the alternative

The sound of clapping intruded rudely on his thoughts. Turning, he saw Kai obnoxiously applauding him while grinning from ear to ear. Arrayed behind him in the darkened woods was a cluster of zombies, no doubt anxiously awaiting whatever command their master saw fit to give. Above Kai's head, a vulture was settling in to roost on an overhanging tree branch.

"Magnificent. You, my friend, are a true artist," Kai said admiringly.

"And you are an annoying little troll, and we're not friends," Damon corrected. High on blood, Damon was already riding a killing edge, the insatiable predator in him howling for a chance at Kai. But he wanted Kai's death and no mistakes, so he would make himself wait for the right moment. He was only going to get one, and after all, he had every intention of fulfilling his threat to eat the bastard's heart.

Kai crossed his arms. "Whatever. I'm sure you want to get home to your girl, and I also have things I'd rather be doing. The knife, if you will."

Damon smiled a bloody smile that never reached his eyes. "So this is it, huh?" He palmed the knife and hefted it in the air a few times. "Once I give you this, you get everything you want."

"Not quite, not yet. There's one last crucial step." Kai walked away from the tree line, heading straight for Damon. He paused on his way to kick one of the bodies, head cocked, face inquisitive like he was merely a young boy kicking over an anthill so he could see what happened. After a few seconds, he moved on to the center of the consecrated circle and continued talking. "The spell allows me to remove my heart, but I'll still need to hide it somewhere safe where no one can find it. I'm thinking in an inter - dimensional portal, but they're pretty rare. The nearest one is in Tennessee."

"Blah, blah, blah, just as long as that translates into I never have to see you again."

Kai's eyes narrowed in amusement. "Oh, yeah, so, I've been meaning ask, has Elena given it up yet or is she still making you work for it?"

A icy black rage swept through Damon, and he forgot all about waiting for the right moment. He flung the knife with deadly precision at Kai's head.

Or at least that's the command his brain gave his body, but it failed to obey him.

"Ouch, I guess not," the psychopath said with a look of mock sympathy. "Now, if you could bring me that knife nice and slow-like, that'd be great."

Gritting his teeth, Damon found himself unwillingly walking over to Kai and offering him the knife, hilt first. As a small solace, he imagined using it to filet Kai. Guts would spill, flesh would peel away from bone, and most importantly, it would be slow and agonizing.

"Thanks, pal." Kai accepted the knife and wrapped both hands around the hilt. Damon noticed a weird red light pulsing around Kai's hands as he absorbed the death energy stored in the blade. Kai's eyes closed as a visible shiver coursed through him. "Oh, fuck, that was a rush!"

The knife fell to the forest floor, and the dark witch began to chant in the language of magic. Was he really going to do the spell to remove his heart right here, right now?

Ugh, apparently, so.

As Kai continued to chant, the zombies lingering at the edge of the clearing shuffled restlessly. The lone vulture hunkered down on his tree branch for safety, hiding his head under an inky black wing. The hair on Damon's neck rose as even he sensed the power swirling in the air. This was some seriously creepy-ass mojo.

And it only got creepier. A heart appeared above Kai's head. A fucking human heart, like the bloody, ripped out organ just floating in the air. Drops of blood splattered down onto Kai's face, making him look as though he were crying bloody tears. The disembodied heart spun around a few times like a macabre toy top before it winked out of sight.

Delight surged across Kai's lean face, and he began to laugh gleefully. "I did it! Did you see that? It worked! God, I fucking amaze myself."

Wanting to distance himself from this unsettling scene, Damon took a successful step backwards and discovered that he had dominion over his own muscles again. It seemed Kai was too enraptured with his triumph to notice or care that he'd failed to maintain control of his unwilling partner.

Without hesitation, Damon sped forward faster than lightening and slashed his hand sideways through the column of Kai's neck. The young man's head went flying. It landed on its side, right cheek pressed into the leaves and dirt of the forest floor, a good ten feet from his still upright body. Blood flowed freely from his neck stump.

To Damon's horror, Kai continued laughing. "It really worked! You can't kill me! Some advice? I suggest you run before I figure out how to get reattached to my body."

Since it was sound advice, Damon took it.

Looking through the small opening in the door to one of the cells in the basement, he spied Elena sitting morosely on the floor even though he'd thoughtfully provided her with a perfectly good cot she could be using. Her hands rested on her bent knees as she stared down into her lap. Her soft, dark hair flowed around her face like a veil, shielding her expression from view.

He cleared his throat. "Stefan said he unlocked the door an hour ago, which begs the question, why are you still in here?"

"I didn't know if I had permission to leave." A snarl of temper lurked beneath her words.

One black eyebrow arched. "Don't you think you're being a tad bit dramatic?"

"You drugged me and locked me in a dungeon. I don't think it's possible to be too dramatic right now."

He rolled his eyes. "It's not like you left me any other choice. I couldn't let you do something so monumentally stupid."

"It wasn't your call, Damon!" She fell silent for a moment, then added, "Stefan always respected my choice."

Even though he didn't regret his actions, her words cut deep, yet another reminder that he'd never measure up to his saintly brother. "Yeah, and how did that work out for you? You died. Twice!" When his words were met with silence, he pushed the door open, rusty hinges squealing in protest, and stepped inside.

With vampire speed, Elena leapt up and sprinted towards him. When she got close enough, she drew her arm back and slapped him. Hard. The force rocked him back on his heels and snapped his head to the side. This was hardly the first time she'd slapped him, but now that she had enhanced strength, it actually hurt.

"I shouldn't forgive you," she told him. He hated how tight her voice sounded, knowing it meant she was fighting the urge to cry.

"I know," he agreed softly.

"I mean it, Damon, I shouldn't!"

"I know," he simply repeated as his heart sank. How could he have ever been so stupid as to allow himself to believe even for an instant that he'd get to keep her?

"You killed those innocent people?" she asked.

"It's over, Elena. That's what matters." His eyes pleaded with her not to pry any deeper. He really didn't want to go into the details.

"What matters is a bunch of people are dead, and a bunch more are going to die."

"But not here! Kai'll leave Mystic Falls and be someone else's problem now."

"How noble of you." She drew a hand back in preparation to slap him again, but he snatched it in mid-air, infuriating her even more.

"Do that again," he warned, "and I'll bend you over my knee and spank you."

"You wouldn't dare," she hissed.

"Then don't fucking tempt me. If I thought it'd work, I'd've done it a long time ago."

Elena wrenched her hand out of his grip. "You're not even sorry, are you?"

"I'm sorry that I upset you." He tried to appear contrite.

"But you'd do it again?"

"Only to keep you safe! Only if I had no other choice!"

"You always have a choice, Damon! And if you're going to insist on making your own choices and damn what anyone else wants, then you could at least allow me the same dignity. Let me make my own choices." Her forehead wrinkled. "If I'm with you, is this what I should expect every time I want to do something you don't agree with?"

He didn't answer, too overwhelmed by conflicting impulses. He wanted to hold her, yell at her, shake some sense into her, and kiss her senseless all in the same breath.

"I can't keep having this same fight with you," she said when faced with his lack of a response. "How can I be with you when you make these kinds of choices? When you won't let me make my own choices?"

His face twisted. What did that mean? What was she saying? Cloaking himself in anger, because it was easier than dealing with the panic creeping in as he realized he was losing her, he snapped, "And how can you expect me to let you die? Never gonna happen, Elena. If I hadn't killed those people for that asshole, you would be dead. Please tell me you get that. Tell me you get that I did this to save your life!"

"Then maybe you should stick to people who want to be saved." She was around him and through the door before he could stop her, leaving him alone in the cell. Fishing a small velvet-covered box out of his pocket, he said quietly, "Bonnie finished this earlier today."

Almost out of sight around the corner, she glanced behind her, and spying the ring box resting in his palm, she hesitated. "My new daylight ring?"

He nodded. She returned and snatched it from his hand, then resumed storming out. With a sigh, his back found the cell wall, and he slid bonelessly to the ground, sticking both legs out in front of him as his head fell back against the rough stone.

He heard Elena's footsteps as she marched up the stairs and across the floor above him. He heard her angrily tell Stefan that she didn't want to talk right now. He heard the moment when she paused and opened the ring box. Her breath hitched at what she found inside, and he half-smiled. At least he'd gotten one thing right tonight.

An hour later that same night he stood outside on his bedroom balcony. The moon was bright behind him and the sky above him was clear as he stared forlornly back into the darkness of his bedroom without really seeing anything. He'd hoped the pleasantly crisp air would help to clear his head and enable him to think a way to earn Elena's forgiveness. Even though he knew that he had no right to expect her forgiveness, every fiber of his being still hopelessly needed it. But it wasn't working. He didn't know what to do.

He was caught completely by surprise when Elena appeared soundlessly between the double doors that opened onto the balcony.

To cover his surprise, he drawled, "Figured you'd be long gone by now."

"Yeah, me too."

He studied her intently as she came up beside him where his backside rested on the iron railing. Maybe five feet of space separated them, but there was a rift in between them that felt wider than the Grand Canyon. She had to be aware of his eyes on her, yet she carefully avoided even turning her head in his direction.

So, she was still angry. Still hurt. But she was still here when she could have easily gone home or, hell, anywhere else, so that had to be a good sign, right? God, he wished he knew what was going on in that pretty little head of hers.

"Does it fit?" He gestured at her hand. "It can be adjusted if it doesn't."

"No, it's perfect." She glanced down at the daylight ring on her right hand. Tiny diamonds surrounded the delicate oval-shaped lapis lazuli. The deep midnight blue stone was supported on both sides by a pair of elegant diamond butterflies. The rest of the slim band was made of white gold. "I love it. I wish it had been given to me under any other circumstance."

He flinched. "Elena, everything I've done…. It's only because I can't stand the thought of losing you. I lo-"

She raised her hand in a warding gesture. "Don't!" she demanded in a tone as brittle and cold as ice. She faced out, looking resolutely at the tree line. Somewhere nearby, an owl screeched. "It's over, right? We can just put all this behind us?"

"Yes."

"Then, let's do that."

Silence reigned for a minute or so before he cleared his throat and offered, "Drink?" He raised a glass filled with more of the Cheval-Blanc wine from earlier.

She nodded. "Please."

He walked over to the glass table on the balcony and poured her some wine from the decanter. As she accepted the glass from him, her lips quirked. "Is it weird that you already had a second glass out here?"

He resettled his backside against the railing and looked down into his glass. "You didn't know? I'm the optimist in the family."

His delivery was so dead-pan, one note of laughter escaped before she slammed her teeth together with a clicking sound. Elena's gaze dropped, and her knuckles tightened around the wine glass stem. A gentle breeze teased strands of her hair so that they undulated around her like a stormy cloud.

For several minutes, neither spoke, until Elena broke the silence with, "Teach me."

"What?" He hadn't expected anything further. She seemed done with him.

"The bird-thing that you do, summoning the crow. Teach me how you do that."

He frowned. "It took me years before I was strong enough to use my Power that way."

"But you didn't have anyone to help you. I have you," she countered.

By the fucking balls, he thought reflexively. He sighed and moved next to her, his hand coming to rest on the railing a few inches from hers.

"What do I do first?" she inquired.

"It helps to close your eyes."

She obediently shut them. He proceeded to explain as best he could exactly how it felt when he extended his Power, when he sent forth a probe seeking the nearest receptive mind. "It's always a crow for me. Try it, and maybe we'll see who responds to you. A doe. A vixen." He leaned in and said mischievously, "A naughty little minx."

Her lips twitched into a begrudging smile which she quickly erased. He watched her face settle into lines of concentration. Suddenly, she gasped and moved her hand over his, clutching it fiercely. Her eyes flew open, and she looked to him with excitement. "I felt it! Something felt me!"

Smiling proudly, he jerked his chin. "Look behind you."

She turned in time to see a brown and white barn owl alight silently on the railing maybe ten feet from her.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, stepping backward into him. His arms automatically went around her.

"Beautiful and deadly. Suits you perfectly," he murmured.

"Will it let me touch it?"

"Only one way to find out."

With a deep intake of breath, she stepped free of his hold and moved towards the owl, who perched there serenely as though obeying the summons of newbie vampire girls was nothing unusual. It allowed her to approach close enough to where she could reach out and stroke its breast feathers, though she kept a wary eye on that lethally curved beak.

He heard her whisper, "Thank you," and then with one last solemn blink of its huge round eyes, the owl spread its wings. Elena retreated back to the comfort and safety of his arms, and the graceful bird flew noiselessly off into the night until it was lost from view among the trees.

As she stood there watching the bird fly away, he took the opportunity to sweep aside her hair, revealing the graceful curve where her neck and shoulder met. He found himself fixated on that spot. She had such an enticing scent. His head dipped lower, which only intensified her erotic smell, and he marveled at the sensual richness of her light brown skin. He wanted to lick it, run his tongue over every inch of that smooth, beautiful flesh. Because he couldn't help himself, because he had zero willpower when it came to Elena, his lips whispered along her neck, and Elena started, drawing in a quick breath.

She looked back and up at him with huge eyes, pink lips parting. Her gaze dropped to his mouth, and he watched her lick her lips. She swallowed audibly, then uttered a tremulous, "Damon…."

Before she could say all the things that he couldn't bear to hear confirmed out loud, he stepped back from her and asked, "More wine?"

She shook her head and set her glass down on the table. "I can't. It's late. I should go."

"Don't. Stay."

She opened her mouth to reply, and he read instantly the anguish and regret on her face before she made a sound.

Quickly, he said, "Before you say anything, I know that sex is off the table. I get it. It's just – " He stopped, then tried again. "Remember how you spent the night after that party you threw for me? We just fell asleep and woke up together? That was…nice. We could do that again. I'll be a perfect gentleman, I promise you." And he was officially completely pathetic. This girl had him practically on his hands and knees begging her not to leave.

She bit her lip as she looked at him. Then her eyes darted away, and she shrugged unhappily. "I can't. It's not you I don't trust. It's me. I can't think straight when I'm around you."

"Elena, I promise that nothing will happen. I won't let it."

"So, you're asking me to leave our collective self-control in your hands?" She stared up at the sky and gave a skeptical laugh. "What could go wrong with that?"

He didn't really have a rebuttal for that, so he waited tensely for her rejection. Her gaze slid down to meet his, and she smiled, an unexpected flash of that innate sweetness that made her so beautiful. "Can I borrow a shirt? I'm not exactly wearing the most comfortable outfit to sleep in." She made a gesture that encompassed her jeans and long-sleeve top.

Shocked by her acquiescence, he managed to get out, "Of course, help yourself."

Turning, she melted demurely into the darkness of his bedroom. He could hear when she opened some drawers and began to rifle through his clothing, and it made him smile. Sipping the last of his wine slowly, he gave Elena plenty of time to change and hide herself under the covers. It was as much out of consideration for her modesty as it was a frank acknowledgement that he wouldn't be able to keep his promise if he saw her lush curves filling out his clothes.

Once he'd polished off the wine and made his way into the room, he pulled the double doors closed behind him. They shut with a gentle snick.

Her body was a soft outline beneath sheets that she had pulled all the way up to her nose as if they offered any protection from him. Walking softly to the opposite side of the bed, his fingers worked nimbly to unbutton his shirt, though he left it on. If clothes started coming off, they'd be in trouble. After removing his boots, he lay down beside her, remaining above the covers. Slowly, the sheets lowered until her entire face was exposed.

"Damon?"

"Hmm?"

"I don't know how to be okay with everything that's happened."

What a coincidence. He didn't know how to make anything that had happened okay. "I know. Maybe we can talk about it in the morning?"

"Okay." She rustled under the sheets, trying to get comfortable, then, "Damon?"

"Hmm?"

"Good night."

He rolled onto his side and sent her a small smile. "Good night, princess."

His hand stretched out tentatively, barely grazing the tips of her fingers that poked over the sheets. He moved slowly, giving her plenty of time to pull away if his touch was unwelcome. But she left her hand where it was, and soon she fell asleep like that, her breaths deepening and evening out, connected to him through only the most tenuous physical contact, and yet, to Damon, it felt like hope, like maybe they would be able to find their way through this. Somehow.

Gazing at her sweet face, so angelic-looking in repose, he prepared to wait for the long hours to pass until dawn, not expecting to fall asleep. But he did.

Which turned out to be a horrible mistake. His eyes shot open, and he jacked upright, somehow knowing that he and Elena were no longer alone. In the middle of his room stood Kai, wearing a long black coat and an obnoxious smile, looking far too spry for someone who'd just been decapitated.

Instantly, Damon slipped into a murderous rage. How dare this bastard come anywhere near Elena while she was so vulnerable. But of course when he tried to move, he found himself frozen in place. His gaze darted sideways to Elena, but she didn't stir, still lost in sleep.

"Hey, buddy, miss me?"

Damon's lids lowered, the hooded eyes of a predator. "Not the word I'd use. Aren't you supposed to be on your way to Tennessee?"

Kai shrugged. "We can always quibble about semantics later. The bottom line is I need to tie up loose ends and make sure you're not going to follow me. I realized I got a little excited and mistakenly revealed too much of my plan. Us evil villains do like to brag. So, I'm here to make sure that that's not going to be a problem. But don't worry, I have a little present that'll make it worth your while."

"I want nothing from you," he growled.

"Tsk, you don't even know what I'm offering yet."

"Doesn't matter."

Ignoring him, Kai approached the bed, and Damon thought he must look crazy as his facial features contorted themselves with the effort of trying to move, to jump across the bed and strangle the young man.

Kai crouched over Elena and pulled a small stoppered jar from his coat pocket. "Now, I have to warn you, lust spells really aren't my specialty. I hope I got the dosage right…" He opened the jar and dipped a finger into the liquid that was inside. He grimaced. "If it's too strong….well, if she were human, it would kill her. Since she's a vampire…." He winked. "Let's just say, you'll finally get what you want from her, and I'll get the head start I need." His finger emerged from the jar covered in a runny, red paste which he then smeared along Elena's lips. "There you go, buddy. You're welcome."

"Don't fucking touch her!" he snarled through clenched teeth. He didn't know what that fucking paste would do, but he knew without a doubt that neither he nor Elena wanted to discover the answer.

Kai stroked a clean finger along Elena's cheekbone. "So pretty. I bet it'd almost be worth it to stick around and watch what happens." Then he straightened and pocketed the little jar. "Oh, well, I'm off to hide my heart in an inter-dimensional portal in Tennessee. Hopefully, I'll see you again real soon." Pausing, he seemed to rethink what he'd just said. "But not too soon." He walked over to the balcony doors and opened them wide. Perched on the railing was a black vulture which hissed in greeting when it saw its master. Kai mumbled something and vanished, and the vulture took off into the air.

Kai's disappearance released Damon from his immobility, and the enraged vampire zoomed out onto the balcony, even though he knew it was futile and the prick was long gone. A single vulture feather floated through the air, and he snatched it, clenching it tight in his fist.

No, goddammit, this was supposed to be over! He'd thought he was never going to see Kai or have to deal with him ever again.

"Damon?"

He whirled to see Elena sitting up.

"What are you doing out there? What-" She stopped talking and brought a hand to her mouth.

"No, Elena, don't!" he cried.

Her fingertips came away stained red, and her pink tongue darted out to circle her lips. She glanced at him sharply. "What was that?"

He stared at her in dismay. Guess they were about to find out.

P.S

Is anyone else both super excited that Friday is the new

season premiere

and super sad that it's gonna be the last time there's a

new season premiere? :(

#TVDForever #DelenaEndgame