Elena watched her brother make his way around the party with ease, manoeuvring amongst the crowd with Bonnie as each guest desperately fought over to get his attention and favour. If she hadn't felt so proud of him she probably would have laughed at the irony of it all, these people questioned his suitability for the crown and now they we're practically climbing over each other to talk to him. She felt a presence next to her and turned to face Caroline who was looking at her guiltily, her hand tugging on the front strands of her hair as she shuffled nervously.

"Elena…" she was wary, they hadn't had much of a chance to talk and it was obvious she didn't know where their friendship stood.

"Don't worry Care, its fine" Caroline released her breath and pulled Elena into a hug, tears threating to spill out of her eyes in relief. "Hey, calm down you know you're one of my best friends, it's impossible to stay mad at you!"

"I know we sorted things back at Damon's but everything happened so quickly that we barely had any time to really fix things between us and when you left I was so worried!" The two girls stared at each other for a moment, taking each other in as if they we're checking if the other was all right

"How are things with you anyway…?" Elena didn't want to push it, she figured if she kept the question broad she wouldn't step on Caroline's toes again.

"Frustrating Elena! I seriously don't know what's going on with me, one minute I want to tear out Klaus's throat and the next I'm wanting to jump him!" Elena held up her hand, her jaw slack as if she was gobsmacked.

"Wait, Klaus? You and Klaus? Since when!" Caroline blushed and Elena searched the room for the blonde, accented general

"No, it's not like that! Well I don't think it is…" Elena gave her a knowing smile, she had seen Caroline like this before when she had first met Tyler. She was happy for her friend but also wary, yes Klaus had helped her but she knew it was for his own means; she didn't know if she trusted him, let alone with her friends heart.

"You two lovely ladies wouldn't be happening to be talking about me now would you?" Elena felt butterfly's spin in her stomach and she lifted her hand to it in an attempt to settle it. She had barley seen Damon since their brief moment when he arrived, he had been too busy organising his army and she had been dealing with the little details of the coronation.

"Arrogant as ever I see, no Damon we weren't" Caroline crossed her arms over her chest, a disapproving look on her face as he interrupted her time with Elena. Damon raised his hand to his chest and faked a gasp

"How could you not be? Look at me I'm the perfect male specimen, I should be the only thing you talk about!" Elena rolled her eyes, shaking her head in disbelief and amusement.

"The world isn't big enough for your ego Damon, push it too far and I'll have to stick a pin in your head to deflate it" Damon wrapped his arm around Elena and nuzzled his head into her neck, she smiled contently at the close contact and Caroline's face contorted in a playful look of disgust "I'm going to find Bonnie, if I hang around you love birds for too long I think I may throw up"

"I hear Klaus is looking for you" Damon winked at her although his voice held a tone of disdain for his suspicious general. Caroline blushed again, giving Damon a quick glare and spun on her heel disappearing into the crowd quickly

"Do you have to tease her so much?" She was happy in his arms yet Elena felt disappointed her catch up with Caroline had ended so soon, she had so much she wanted to tell her.

"I guess not but I find it fun" Damon spun Elena around, causing her to let out a surprised shriek "Dance with me?" he wrapped a hand around her waist, pulling him close to her as he slid his hand down her arm and clasped onto her hand.

"I never thought we would be back here…" Elena thought back to their first meeting where he had just been a mysterious, masked stranger. She knew that had been the moment when their connection had first been made, every touch that night had been imprinted on her soul just as every touch after had as well.

"I have to admit neither did I, I thought I would have to fight my way in and here I am, a guest of Mystic Falls and dancing with its most prized jewel" he gave her his half smirk, half smile and she felt her knee's go weak as he gracefully lead her around the dance floor, weaving around the other dancers with ease. "Although I would prefer to have you alone…"

"Don't push it Salvatore" her tone was playful as she enjoyed the simplicity of their moment. Elena felt as if they were alone and she felt as if she was finally where she belonged.

…..

Damon felt his heart swell as Elena smiled up at him, playing along with his cheeky banter as if no one was watching them. He had missed the way the corner of her mouth twitched when she was trying to keep her laughter at bay and the way her eyes lit up when they met his. He knew he had missed her, it had tormented him being so far away from her all those weeks but it made it worthwhile to have her back again in his arms. He found it ironic how he felt at home in a place that was once considered his enemy and that the girl he had intended to use as a pawn had made him feel more complete then any slash of his sword he had ever made. Damon felt like he was in a dream, he had never imagined his life to be so perfect. Never had he imagined meeting someone he could love, sure he had thought Katherine was the love of his life but now he saw what that relationship had really been; a fleeting affection. For the first time in his life he saw a future had he lost sight of so many years ago; a wife and a child.

"Elena…" she looked up at him with her doe brown eyes and he pulled her closer to him as if he was scared he could lose her any second

"What is it Damon?" her voice was soft but it filled his ear's, calling to his soul and heart. Line's formed on her forehead as she became concerned. Damon suddenly felt nervous and scared but he also felt confident; he would not lose her again.

"After this war is over I want you to marry me" Elena bit her lip and she pulled away from him. Fear filled him as he began to think she was rejecting him. He felt idiotic for even asking, he had hurt her and there was no way she would agree.

"Why after the war? Why not before?" he grabbed her hand's in his, massaging them with his thumbs as he thought over his reply. Of course they could get married before but it didn't feel right to him

"Because I want it to be my promise to you…My promise that I will come home to you" the second's ticked by as she watched him carefully. Never in his life had he felt so afraid, he had faced hordes of men on the battle field who were intent on killing him and here he was frozen in fear waiting for an answer to a life changing question.

"Yes…" her reply was so quite it took him a moment to realise she had even said it "Yes I will marry you after the war is over" Damon grabbed her quickly out of joy, his heart felt like it was going to jump out of his chest with excitement as he lifted her up and swung her around. Elena shrieked in surprise, a wide smile across her soft features. "Put me down!" Damon obliged but only so he could engulf her mouth in a searing kiss, he didn't care if people we're watching or what they would say, he was finally happy and he wanted the whole world to know it.

"It's about time you two got your act together!" Damon growled as he felt someone pull him away from Elena only to be dragged into a warm hug by his brother. Stefan patted him on the back in congratulations "I honestly thought I would never see the day that you would settle down, congratulations Damon"

"You don't have to get all mushy on me brother" Stefan laughed at him and turned to Elena. Damon watched as he pulled his fiancé into a tight embrace. Another hand slapped him on the back and a scotch was put into his palm.

"Hey not so tight Stefan, that's my great niece of nephew growing in there" Alaric held up his glass to Damon in a cheer's before taking a sip, Damon laughed and followed his cue. Damon continued to watch as their closet friend's embraced Elena, accepting their union and he started to realise what it all meant, why he was fighting a never ending battle and why he had to end it.

"You better not break your promise to her Damon" Jeremy stood next to him, watching his sister excitedly chatter with Caroline and Bonnie.

"I won't" Jeremy nodded and held out his hand. Damon stared down at it, he had never thought to ask Jeremy for permission and he mentally kicked himself. "Is this you giving us your blessing?"

"Take it before I change my mind Salvatore" the shake was firm but equal. A mutual contract forming through it but it also held acknowledgement that they we're now allies, fighting for the same future. "By the way, it's not me you should be worried about…"

"What's that supposed to mean Gilbert?" he watched Jeremy point towards the front of the hall and he began to feel uneasy again. Standing near the throne was a small woman, an elegant crown on her head and her brown eye's narrowed and disapproving.

"That Salvatore is your future mother in law…" Damon gulped and gave her a weak smile, he had been wrong before, facing Miranda Gilbert would be the most fearful thing he would ever come across.