A/N: Hi guys! Can you believe it? I've made it through. I finished this story. Here it is, the very last chapter. Thank you for still reading 3
The twenty-fifth chapter
Elena was unable to let go of her children. She wanted nothing more than to get away from this place, but she couldn't bring herself to stop squeezing Jenna and Jeremy against her chest.
Jeremy's voice was what finally pulled her out of her rigor: "Mommy, you're squishing me!"
"I'm sorry, baby," she whispered, slightly releasing her hold. "Are you guys okay?" She looked from Jeremy to Jenna, searching their eyes for clues. Both of them nodded, but Elena still felt uneasy, needing to find that hundred percent assurance that they hadn't suffered.
"Are you okay, mommy?" Jenna asked, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. Elena tried to put on an easy smile. She knew that her daughter had never seen her like this – with scraped hands and knees and terror in her eyes.
"Yes, yes I'm okay. I'm perfect. I just had a hard time finding you among all these people." She rolled her eyes and laughed, unable to make it sound as believable as she wanted it to. "But I've got you now. And I'm really happy to see you."
"I'm happy, too," Jenna said, her smile more confident than before.
Elena finally got the strength to stand up and take hold of her children's hands, starting to push through the crowds with them. Her pulse was still racing and every time she felt a tug on her hand from Jenna bumping into someone or Jeremy lagging behind, her heart jumped and she instinctively held the hand tighter. She didn't think Tyler would come back, but she couldn't be sure. What if he was still watching her? What if he had hired someone to follow them? Elena's thoughts were chasing themselves down a dark rabbit hole.
They finally reached the end of the square underneath the Eiffel Tower, where people were starting to leave and they could drift with the flow. The crowds were getting slightly thinner and when Jeremy complained about getting tired, Elena picked him up and instructed Jenna to hold tightly onto her shirt and not let go under any circumstances.
The large street running along the bank of the Seine was closed off, just like the street Elena had tried to get through on her way to the Eiffel Tower. People were now leaving through the barricades in troves and the policemen seemed more relaxed than the ones she had encountered earlier that evening.
The barricade closest to her was manned by three officers, two men and a woman, and when Elena approached them, the female officer noticed her instantly, scanning her with concern in her eyes.
"Je peux vous aider?" she inquired, taking a step towards Elena and her children.
"Do you speak English?" Elena asked.
"Yes," the woman replied. "Can I help you?" Her French accent was thick, but Elena had never been more relieved to hear her mother tongue.
"Can you tell me where the US embassy is?" she asked, praying that it wasn't too far away.
"It's Place de la Concorde," the police officer said, turning her head quickly to throw a glance across her shoulder. Then she looked back at Elena and stretched her arm back to indicate the same direction. "You go… euh… half hour here by the Seine… and then at Pont de la Concorde you go across the bridge and then the embassy is… euh… on the other side of Place de la Concorde. Left."
A half an hour was fine. Elena could do this. She smiled appreciatively. The eyes of the officer dropped to Jeremy whose head was now leaning against his mother's shoulder, his eyelids losing a battle against sleep, and then further down to Elena's scraped knees.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"Yes," Elena answered. She could feel Jeremy getting heavy in her arms as the adrenaline started to drain slowly from her muscles. She felt exhaustion creeping up her spine. "We will be." She added a tired smile to reassure the friendly officer.
The woman didn't look convinced. "Wait here," she instructed and walked over to the other police officers, keeping an eye on Elena with furtive glances.
"Mommy?" Jenna said, still clutching her shirt and looking frightened.
"It's okay, honey. We're just going to a place where we can call daddy and he can take us home, okay?"
Jenna nodded slowly, but the worry didn't leave her eyes.
When the police officer returned, one of her colleagues accompanied her. He threw Elena a friendly smile and then crouched down before Jenna who clutched her mother's shirt a little tighter.
"Hi," the officer greeted her, one elbow casually resting on his propped up knee. "How are you doing?"
"Okay," she answered, her voice unusually small.
"I'm Tarik, this is Adèle," he introduced himself and his fellow officer who had taken a few steps back and was now talking on the phone in French. "What's your name?"
"Jenna," the girl replied.
"Do you know your last name?" he asked, smiling up at Elena with a disarming smile to calm any uneasiness she was feeling at the inquisition. Jenna looked up at her mother who gave her a reassuring nod.
"Lockwood," she said in a small voice.
"Good." The policeman glanced back at his colleague who gave him a quick nod and kept talking on the phone. "Are you here on vacation?"
Jenna nodded.
"And who is this?" he asked, pointing at Elena.
"My mommy," Jenna answered, stepping imperceptibly closer to her.
"And where's your daddy?" he asked, his voice still as calm as before.
"At home," Jenna said, again looking up at Elena for reassurance.
"Your mommy took you on vacation without your daddy?" he followed up.
"My uncle Tyler and aunt Vicki took us on vacation," Jenna explained. "It was a surprise."
Elena felt the heat of tears rise into her cheeks, threatening to spill. She swallowed to release the tightness that was starting to squeeze her throat. The police officer glanced up at her before throwing Jenna a last smile and standing up slowly. Just as he was about to speak, the other officer hung up the phone and got his attention. They exchanged a few sentences in French and his eyes kept jumping back to Elena and her children, now filled with concern instead of reassurance. Finally, he nodded and headed over to the third guard still waiting at the barricades, while the female officer quickly closed the distance to speak again with Elena.
"I take you to the embassy," she said, extending an inviting hand towards a police car a little further down the road. "They wait for you."
Elena was startled for a second. "They're expecting us?" she asked, not sure she understood correctly.
"Elena Lockwood, yes?" the police officer confirmed.
"Yes," Elena said, feeling hope creep up inside her.
"Yes, I take you," the officer repeated with a smile and started heading for the waiting police car.
Elena took Jenna's hand and quickly followed.
The car was only able to advance slowly on streets still filled with celebrating crowds. But as Elena leaned back against the rough fabric of the car's backseat and watched the illuminated city float by outside the window, the anxiety and urgency started to seep away from her. Jeremy was curled up in her lap and breathing heavily, while Jenna was leaning against her side. She had found them. They were safe. She could take them home.
They passed golden statues atop large white pillars to the left and right of a large bridge on the left-hand side and then an imposing building on the right-hand side, before turning onto a wide, cobbled bridge that crossed the Seine. When Elena turned her head slightly, she could see the tip of the Eiffel Tower rise in the distance, shooting up from the trees and buildings surrounding it.
Straight ahead an illuminated obelisk marked the center of the large square they were approaching. They rounded it and headed towards a smaller street veering off to the left at the very end of the square. Behind a row of large chestnut trees, Elena could make out a structure, but it wasn't until they slowed down that she noticed the short white pillars lining the curb and the green hut on the corner, where heavily-armed police and military were standing guard. One of these approached their car and exchanged a few words with the driver in French before waving them onto a driveway a little further down the road.
When the car stopped, the doors of the embassy swung open and a woman in a suit walked briskly towards them, followed by two men who looked like security. The policewoman opened the door and helped Elena step out of the car without waking Jeremy.
"Mrs. Lockwood?" the woman greeted Elena, stretching an efficient hand out to her.
"Yes," Elena said, her mind trying to catch up with the events.
At the confirmation, something seemed to release within the woman and warmth swept into her eyes. She laid her second hand on top of the one Elena was already shaking and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"We're so happy to see you and your children are well," she affirmed. "I'm Ambassador Georgia Greene. Please come with me."
Elena followed the woman into the building, through a large entrance hall with a tiled floor and large marble pillars next to a staircase leading to the upper level, into a smaller sitting room with a Persian rug and plush couches. A young man and a young woman, both wearing pressed pants and shirts, were leaning over a computer, deep in discussion. When the Ambassador entered with Elena, both stood up abruptly and instant relief was apparent on their faces.
"These are two of my aides, Ms. Marlowe and Mr. Rudd. They've been coordinating with the French police."
They both came up to Elena with large steps and shook her hand enthusiastically. "Um… thank you," Elena said, not sure what had been going on over the past hours. Before she could get any answers, however, two more aides entered the room and ushered in a tired looking physician and the next hour was passed with thorough checks of the children, tending to Elena's scrapes and bandaging her sprained ankle.
Elena was sitting in nearly complete darkness – in a strange room, on a strange chair next to a strange bed. She could only roughly make out the shape of her children's faces lying on the strange pillow, but she could clearly hear them breathing in and out, calmly and deeply. It was the only sound she could hear and it filled her with deep gratitude.
A soft knock on the door pulled her out of her thoughts. Mr. Rudd – one of the ambassador's aides – peeked into the room, a mere silhouette against the warm light illuminating the hallway behind him.
"The Ambassador would like to speak with you," he announced in a soft voice. "I can stay with them, if you like."
Elena was grateful for the offer, but it didn't alleviate the anxiety she felt over leaving her children's side.
"Yes, thank you," she said but stayed immobile in her seat.
After a short moment she felt Mr. Rudd hover beside her. He had stepped into the room and was waiting for her to bring herself to move.
"Can you get me if they wake up?" Elena asked, trying to convince herself that nothing horrible would happen if she left the room. "Or if anything happens?"
"Of course,"Mr. Rudd assured her.
Elena softly ghosted a finger across each of her children's cheeks and then slowly got up, leaving the room before she could change her mind, which she inevitably would if she lingered any longer.
Elena walked down the hallway, the sound of her footsteps muffled by the plush carpet. As she reached the top of the large stair case heading down to the entry hall, she heard the heavy front door being opened and mingled voices reverberating off the marbled floor and pillars downstairs.
"Have you gotten an update from the préfect?" a sonorous, male voice asked.
"We're awaiting his call any minute. Please follow me into my office," Ambassador Greene's voice replied as her footsteps started to head across the hall.
"Is the family here?" Elena heard a man ask and her heart stood still for a second. It was Damon's voice. He was here.
"Yes, Mrs. Lockwood is upstairs, putting the children to bed. She will join us momentarily," Ambassador Greene replied and the whole group started to move to the far side of the lobby.
Elena was unable to control her feet. They rushed down the stairs, rushed towards Damon's voice. As she reached the lower half of the stair case, the group came into view and there he was – standing with two men in suits and three in army uniform. His hair was disheveled, his eyes looked hollowed and tired, he was still wearing the same sweater he had been wearing on the plane, but to her he had never looked better. Her heart filled, with relief, with gratitude, with love, until she was certain her ribcage was too small to hold it in and it had to burst at any moment.
Just then he stopped in his tracks. He had to have caught the movement in the corner of his eyes and turned his head slightly until his eyes met hers. His reaction was as instantaneous as hers had been. Relief softened his tense features as his shoulders relaxed.
Elena rushed down the last steps, ran across the hard floor, her foot steps echoing loudly, and propelled herself into his arms. His embrace surrounded her instantly and for the first time in days she felt her frayed nerves calm down. He was here now. She would be safe. Her children would be safe. Everything would be fine.
"Thank God you're okay," he mumbled against her skin, pulling her even closer against him.
"I'm so glad you're here," she replied, soaking in the feeling of his warm body against hers, the sound of his voice in her ear, his unique smell that enveloped her and shielded her against the outside world.
Suddenly she felt him slowly pull back. "How are your children?" he asked, taking a small step back to create professional distance.
Instantly, Elena felt curious eyes on her. She longed to be back in his arms but she knew that this wasn't the time and place for it. She thought for a moment about simply ignoring propriety, about flying back into his arms, no matter what anybody else thought. She wanted desperately to be with him, to not have to hide what she felt for him and how much she needed him right now. But she knew what it would mean to her husband. I would be a public slap in his face.
"They're fine," Elena replied. "They're asleep upstairs."
"I'm glad to hear it," Damon said. His eyes flicked up slightly, as if being pulled towards the children sleeping just above them. Elena could tell that it was just as difficult for him to be down here, instead of checking up on them, as it was for her. But he refrained from inquiring further. "Will you join us for the police chief's briefing?" he asked reservedly.
The group filed into the large room, where Ms. Marlowe was speaking on the phone in French while consulting a large map of the city that had been pinned to a whiteboard.
"The préfect will have an update in a few minutes," Ms. Marlowe announced after hanging up the phone. "He's currently meeting with the squad leader."
"Mrs. Lockwood," the Ambassador caught Elena's attention, "let me bring you up to speed in the meantime." Elena nodded quietly. "Your husband is on his way to Paris. He alerted us this morning and put us in contact with Mr. Salvatore who has been liaising for us with the French police. The préfect has allowed him and a few of our security service members to work with them in a joint task force. To be honest, I think they were stripped for manpower and glad about the support. Mr. Salvatore, would you explain the details of the operation?"
"Of course," he accepted. "The police supported us in tracking your GPS device."
Elena smiled. She had hoped that he would be able to follow the GPS signal from the charm she had ripped off her neck and dropped into Vicky's purse when she forced herself to give her sister-in-law a farewell hug. She was relieved that her ploy had worked.
"We followed it to the Aéroport Le Bourget, north of Paris, where Mrs. Victoria Lockwood was boarding a private plane. In a joined operation with the French police, we detained her. It was only afterwards that we realized that you were no longer with her. We received word that you and your children had arrived at the embassy while we were staking out the hangar to apprehend Mr. Tyler Lockwood. Your husband insisted that I return here immediately to make sure you were safe until he arrives. Now we are waiting to hear from the préfect on the latest developments."
As if on cue, the Ambassador's phone rang.
"Monsieur le prefect," Ambassador Greene greeted the caller. "You are on speaker."
"Madame l'ambassadrice, I'm calling to tell you that the operation has been a success. M. Lejeune, the chef de l'opération, has just confirmed to me that both Mr. and Mrs. Lockwood are now in our custody."
Relief washed through the room.
"That is great news," Ambassador Greene exclaimed with a smile. "Thank you so much, Monsieur. Please keep us updated when you have conducted the interviews."
As they hung up, the head of security for the Embassy turned to Elena: "Mrs. Lockwood, we will need to debrief you as soon as possible."
Elena hesitated.
"Would it be okay if I quickly checked up on the children?" Damon interrupted.
The man gave a curt nod.
"Mrs. Lockwood, would you show me the way?"
Elena nodded gratefully.
"Meet me in the security office afterwards," the man commanded before turning around.
Damon guided Elena out of the room and then followed her, back through the entry hall and up the winding stair case. Elena could feel his presence behind her, his eyes on her back. She felt how charged the air around them was, felt her skin heat up, but more than anything she felt glad to have an excuse to leave the room filled with strangers and head back up to her children's bedroom – to not have to face and recount the memory of the past day just yet.
As they entered the room, Mr. Rudd gave Elena a quick nod before stepping outside. She could hear his muffled steps leaving down the hall.
Damon stepped towards the bed and slowly sat down on the chair. Jenna and Jeremy lay next to each other, sleeping calmly, a faint glow of light from the hallway shimmering on their cheeks. Elena sat down on the mattress carefully, letting her right hand trace the blanket lightly where she knew Jenna's arm was curled against her tiny body underneath it.
"Thank God you found them," Damon whispered. "I can't believe what you did..."
"I can't believe I got them back," Elena whispered in return, her eyes lingering on her daughter's face for just a second before turning towards Damon who was now watching her intently.
"You were hurt?" Damon asked, pointing towards her bandaged ankle.
"Just a little sprain," Elena tried to make light of her injuries. Damon reached out his left hand to take hold of hers. Elena didn't speak, but she entwined their fingers, wishing they could sit like this forever.
"I'm so glad you're okay," he said, allowing himself to reach out his right hand and let his thumb caress her cheek. "I don't know what I would have done if something had happened to you. When you were gone all of a sudden… I've never been so scared in my life."
"Me neither," Elena confessed quietly. "I didn't think I could do it... I crashed a party and stole someone's keys to get to the roof and then I climbed down the balcony railings and broke into someone's backyard… I almost got arrested." she averted her eyes and gave a noiseless, inaudible laugh, hoping it would quell the tears she felt rising up in her throat.
"You're one crazy impressive woman, you know that?" Damon said, gently rubbing her jaw line with his thumb until she raised her chin lightly and her eyes met his again.
The spark was instantaneous. Elena felt how much her body craved to be sheltered in his arms, how much she had missed him, and she saw the same need in his eyes.
"I love you," she whispered.
"Not nearly as much as I love you," he returned in an equally soft voice.
Then, in one smooth motion, he dropped onto his knees before her, his upper body pressed against hers, and drew her face towards his to lock their lips in a desperate kiss – desperate no for her desire or his release, but for a connection, to feel that they were both here together and that nothing would ever tear them apart again.
Elena's heart exploded. In all this horror, in this strange bedroom in this strange country, she felt like she was coming home. As long as she was with Damon, she would always know that she was right where she belonged.
But just as quickly as he had closed the distance, he brought new distance between them by hastily letting go of her and standing up. While Elena's mind was still reeling from the acute loss, she heard a soft rap on the door. Damon had to have heard the cushioned footsteps in the hallway. She took a deep breath.
"Yes?" she said quietly, mindful not to wake the sleeping children.
The crack in the door widened and Mr. Rudd's silhouette appeared in it once more.
"Your husband is about to arrive downstairs, Mrs. Lockwood," he announced.
"Yes. Thank you," she replied, still trying to find her bearings.
Elena was standing in the large foyer with the Ambassador, waiting for her husband to be ushered in by the guard who had picked him up from the airport. Damon, Mr. Rudd and Ms. Marlowe were standing a little further away and conversing in hushed tones.
Elena didn't know why, but she felt nervous. She couldn't anticipate her husband's mood and it unnerved her to be waiting for something unpredictable.
When the heavy door suddenly flew open and her husband rushed in, his eyes found her immediately and he stormed over to wrap her in a tight hug.
"Are you okay?" he asked while cradling her in his arms.
"Yes, I'm okay," she replied quietly, slowly letting her arms drape around his back to return the embrace.
"You scared the shit out of me," he chided, never loosening his hold.
"I know. I'm sorry."
It was then that Elena saw Elijah step through the door behind her husband. The minute he caught her eye, he gave her a quiet smile from across the room. She smiled back. She was glad Mason had brought him. She was glad he had someone with him during the terrifying past 24 hours.
"Thank you," he finally breathed and she could feel his body relax slightly as he voiced his gratitude. "Thank you for saving them."
"You would have done the same thing," she returned.
"I'd like to believe that," he replied before unclasping his arms from around her. He pulled back slightly to look into her eyes, before leaning in and pressing a lingering kiss to her cheek. "Thank you," he whispered again, before he let go of her completely.
"And you, Georgia," he said to the Ambassador while turning towards her and shaking her hand, bowing in deep gratitude. "I will never forget this."
"I'm so glad we were able to help," the Ambassador replied, squeezing his hands warmly in return.
"And, Mr. Salvatore, thank you. I've been told you were paramount in the capture of my brother." He grabbed Damon's hand and shook it briskly.
"Only doing my job, Sir," Damon replied.
"Oh, you've never just been doing your job," Mason returned, still shaking Damon's hand. "But I want to thank you. For everything you've done." The two men stood for a few moments in silence, until Mason gave Damon a last, pained smile and released the hold on his hand.
Elena awoke startled. The space around her was pitch black and completely still, but she could have sworn she had heard something. Now, everything was quiet. She turned around and looked at her husband's sleeping form. A few strands of his hair had fallen into his forehead, his eyes were closed and he was breathing evenly. Familiar butterflies were starting to flutter low in her belly. She still couldn't believe that she was waking up next to this man, that they were sharing a life. She slowly stretched out a hand and softly pushed his hair to the side, the movement more of a caress of his temple than anything else. Her hand jerked involuntarily when she heard another sound. It was very faint, but this time she was sure she heard it – the sound of someone sneaking through her home.
Her abrupt movement had to have woken Damon because his eyes flicked open and looked up at her, immediately alert, the light blue almost silver in the pallid moonlight that streamed through the window. He read her instantly, the widened eyes, the stilled breath, the slight firmness around her lips.
"What's going on?" he whispered, reaching for her hand.
"I think someone's inside the house," Elena replied.
Without waiting for his reaction, she slid out of the bed as silently as possible and tiptoed towards the door. Just as she reached for the handle, Elena heard another sound from downstairs; as if someone had walked into a chair or another small piece of furniture, shoving it slightly.
Damon was behind her in a second, moving as silently and instinctively as a panther through the jungle. When she felt his body heat against her back, she quietly pushed down the door handle and slipped through it with him right behind her.
When the pair reached the balustrade, the light in the large foyer was suddenly turned on and they struggled with the sudden brightness. Elena turned to see Elijah on the far end of the balcony overlooking the entrance hall, at that moment turning back around from having switched on the light. Mason was standing behind him, keeping close to their bedroom door, and peering down nervously.
Damon, leaning over her shoulder to see what was going on downstairs, was the first one to speak: "Where do you think you're going, young lady?"
Jenna – startled, shoulders hunched over like a deer caught in the headlights – took a quick breath before looking up and throwing them the most innocent smile she could muster.
"To bed as quickly as I can?" she returned, lifting her voice at the end as if asking a question.
"And why aren't you there right now? I though we agreed Ric would bring you home before midnight," Elijah chimed in.
"He did!" Jenna exclaimed, before checking her enthusiasm. "We were… talking in his car… in the driveway and… lost track of time."
The couples threw each other "remember young love?"-looks, trying to suppress smiles.
"Well, good thing you have a birthday coming up, so we can get you that watch you urgently need."
Jenna rolled her eyes, but quickly enough to allow her to deny it, should one of the adults call her out on it.
"Well, I'm really tired," she announced, faking an unconvincing yawn to underline her point. "I think we all better go to bed."
"Yes, we really shouldn't keep you up like this," Elena mocked good-humoredly, before grabbing her husband's hand and pulling him back towards their bedroom. "Night, honey."
"Night mom, night dads," Jenna replied before scurrying off towards her room.
At the door, Elena threw one last glance toward the other door – across the balcony – where Mason was just about to follow his husband into their room. As if feeling her eyes on him, he stilled in his movement and glanced over at her, his lips quirking into a complicit smile, which Elena returned before they both ducked back into the darkness of their bedrooms.
Elena closed the door, unable to believe her luck. How had her life turned out so amazing? She had the husband of her dreams, her two best friends right across the hall and a house full of children's laughter.
Damon walked back in from the adjoining room, making an effort to be extra quiet and leaving the door an inch ajar.
"How is she?" Elena asked.
"Sleeping like a baby," he replied with a wink.
"Good thing you didn't noisily disassemble the entire parlor like the night we met," Elena returned playfully.
"Oh please, you were glad to be rid of that ugly side-table," he teased, pulling her closer to him.
Elena let her jaw drop open in pretend shock. "I loved that side-table!" she objected, resting her hands on his clavicles, caressing the base of his neck with her thumbs.
"Is that the story you're sticking with?" he asked, pulling her closer to him and leaning forward slightly, his lips hovering an inch from hers.
"Yes," she breathed out, her eyes flicking between his lips and his eyes. "But I love you more."
"Oh yeah?" he asked, letting his warm hand slide smoothly across the exposed part of her back. "How much more?" He dropped his head and let his lips ghost across the slope between her shoulder and her neck that drove her crazy.
"A little bit more," she answered, trying to sound clever but her voice barely making it past husky. When he nipped at a particularly sensitive spot, an unconscious gasp escaped her throat and her hand shot up into his hair to pull him closer.
"A little bit more, hm?" he murmured, his breath puffing hotly against her skin. He slowly trailed the column of her neck with his lips, not quite kissing and not quite not. Elena felt her knees grow a little too weak underneath her and clung a bit tighter to him. When he reached her ear, he pulled her closer against his toned body and leaned in to whisper: "That's too bad."
With that he quickly let go of her and jumped back into their bed, leaving her standing alone in the middle of the room, cold air rushing against every inch of her body that had only seconds ago been soaking up the heat of his skin. A gasp of incredulity escaped Elena, before her brain could fully register what had happened.
"No, no, no," she exclaimed, hurrying after him and jumping into the bed on her side just as he turned in the other direction, pulling the blanket closely around his shoulders and chuckling to himself. "I love you much, much more! Like a thousand spoonful of Tiramisu more!"
Damon laughed quietly and turned around benevolently, swinging his blanket open like a cape and allowing Elena to crawl underneath it and lie against him before enveloping her with it. "That's better," he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as she pulled herself closer against his body, nestling against his chest.
"Damon," she said, pulling away only far enough to lift her head and look into his eyes. "I love you like crazy. You know that, right?"
"I know," he replied with a good-humored roll of the eyes.
"You make me happier than I've ever been in my life."
"Yes, alright, I forgive you," he conceded, trying to pull her back against him.
"Damon," she said to get his full attention. "I was so lost before you. You were my savior."
He stilled for a second before pulling back and turning his head slightly to be at eye-level with her. "You know that's not true, right?" he asked, looking at her intently. When Elena dropped her eyes, unable to hold his gaze, he quickly reached out and pulled her chin back up, willing her to look at him while he spoke. "You're the one who saved everyone. You saved Jenna and Jeremy back in Paris. And you've saved Mason every day since by supporting him in living his true self. I was just lucky you let me into your life while you were doing it."
"Well you saved me from a lot of things," she said defiantly.
"I did?" he asked, his lips quirking in a challenging smirk.
"Yes. You saved me from that burglar. You saved me from not jumping off that cliff. And from not getting divorced."
"You have a very unique definition of saving, I think."
"Well you saved me from a broken heart and years and years of pining for you," she added.
"And from a lifetime of not having sex with me," he nodded seriously.
"Yes, that too," she agreed, swatting a hand at his chest and rolling her eyes.
"Well in that case I think I have to make sure you stay safe," he said, rolling on top of her quickly, pushing her body down with his weight and pressing a lingering kiss against her lips.
"You know," he said, "I love you, too."
"Oh yeah?" Elena asked, letting her hands slide across the muscles in his back, reveling in feeling them tighten under her touch.
"Yeah. Maybe even as much as that side-table."
Elena had to laugh but before she could think of a witty comeback, he kissed her again, one of those kisses that only he had ever been able to give her, and as always she felt the world swim away from her, feeling nothing but his lips on hers, his hands on her skin, and his love in her heart.
A/N: So yeah, this is it. I still can't believe I've finally finished this. It's not what I would like it to be, but it's the best I could do for now. Let's see if I can manage to write a better second draft ;) Anyways... What a ride! Thank you to everyone who's still reading and who's been reviewing and chatting with me. You are the reason why I was able to finish this at all and I really appreciate your incredible support 3
Big group hug, everyone! You're all rockstars.
xoxo