Disclaimer: Sadly I still don't own anything. If I did, sure as hell Delena wouldn't be just FanFic anymore…
…and Dalaric would stay the most reliable bromance ever…
A/N: So. Here it is. The last chapter. Sorry for the delay, kinda rough week…
A huge THANK YOU to all my fabulous reviewers and to those who put me on alert or even fav! You were the reason for keeping up! It was a hell of a ride, but you made it one of the best experiences I ever made! Okay, my family hates me meanwhile, and I barely remember the names of my kids at school, but it was worth it. For me, at least.
For those of you who aren't as addicted to the show as I am and therefore didn't recognize: All the songs at the beginning of each chapter are songs form season 1 and 2.
A special thanks to Kymberleii…:-)
Let's have a look at the last chapter now…Enjoy!
Don't forget to review…
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Chapter 28
Epilogue
You give the strength to me, a strength I never had
I was a mess you see, I'd lost the plot so bad
You dragged me up and out, out of the darkest place
There's not a single doubt when I can see your face
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Give Me Strength by Snow Patrol
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"Thanks for giving me a ride, Care. Good night!"
Elena throws the door shut, watches her friend's car leave and turns toward her house. She's about to climb the stairs of the porch when suddenly strong arms capture her from behind and someone whispers into her ear: "Got ya."
Her body goes rigid, her heart stops beating and her stomach lurches instantly; until the realization set in that scent and body of her attacker are familiar to her. She slams her elbows against him and, when the grip on her loosens a little, she spins around, violently punching her fists against his chest in a drum roll, well aware that it doesn't bother him anyways; but it helps a little to take the edge from the anger she's feeling right now.
"Damon! How could you do that to me! You scared the hell out of me…" she hisses, glaring at him. He still holds her tight, but lets her continue to rage; he has at least the decency to look a little guilty, but of course he doesn't apologize; instead he grins at her. "Well maybe that teaches you not to be outside alone at night. Aren't you afraid of the things that go bump in the night?"
"You are the thing that goes bump in the night…And what am I supposed to do actually? Stay in the house forever?" Her voice still sounds angry, but at least her heartbeat slowly goes back to normal.
He gives her his best smirk "No, you should take your boyfriend along…"
"Right. I'm sure you would have found hilarity in a girl's night…" she scoffs, but her anger is fading away now as fast as the fear has made it rise.
Leering at her, he pulls her a little closer, and she feels her body starting to melt into his. "It depends on the girls and what they had to offer…" He gives her a gentle kiss that turns into a hungry kiss within seconds, but all of a sudden he breaks off and scoops her up, blurring to his car and tucking her into it; then he blurs to the driver's side, hauls himself on his seat and starts the ignition, and before she has the chance to resist or even say a word the car is moving.
"Whoa…! What the hell, Damon! Where are you going?" Elena is taken aback. She's tired, and it's already late, she has to get up early for school tomorrow, and she just wants to sleep; but one brief glance on Damon's self-satisfied smirk on his face tells her to forget about this idea for at least the next…hour? She sighs, feeling annoyed about not having a say in how she will spend this time; still she has to admit that a part of her secretly loves those surprise attacks.
"Seriously, Damon, where are you going?" she asks, although she knows that she won't receive the required information.
"Surprise, surprise…" he says in a sing-song voice.
"Damon."
Oh, this one again…"Elena." He mocks. Then he sighs heavily. "Oh, don't look at me like that. I want to show you something…"
"In the middle of the night? Couldn't that wait until tomorrow? I'm tired, and I have to get up early." She doesn't know why she's even trying to convince him; she knows it's pointless.
"Lean back and sleep then…" he offers, clearly enjoying her annoyance; he knows damn well that in the end the other part in her will win her inner battle anyways.
She narrows her eyes when she realizes what he said. "What does that mean, sleep? How long will the ride take?" she demands, slowly getting flustered.
"A few hours…" he answers vaguely.
"What? No, Damon, I have to go to school tomorrow…"
"Ric can write you a note or something…" he says nonchalantly, waving his hand to demonstrate that it's not really important.
"Damon, pull over. I can't skip school tomorrow. Ric won't do that again, he's a teacher, after all…Pull over!" She grabs his arm to emphasize her words, but he doesn't care. "This is kidnapping…"
He gives her a pointed look. "Melodramatic much? No, Elena, this is taking my girlfriend on a road trip."
"Not if you have forgotten to ask for my approval. I mean it, Damon, pull over. We have to turn back." She tries to sound convincing, but despite herself she feels her resistance fading away.
"Or else? Relax, Elena." He grabs her hand and squeezes it gently, his eyes pleading with her now. "I really have to show you something. It's important for me."
He has her there. Seeing that sincere look in his face, she sighs and gives in. "Okay. I'll text Ric…"
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For the next hour they are chatting and bantering and fighting over the radio channels as usual, both of them enjoying the presence of the other until Elena falls asleep.
She wakes up when Damon parks the car. She stretches her arms, rubs her eyes and looks around. Her brows rise up when she realizes that they are in a parking garage.
"Where are we?" she asks, suppressing a yawn.
"Richmond."
"Really? Wow, how long was I asleep?"
He reaches over to her and strokes her cheek, with his fingertips at first, then with his palm. "Almost two hours. Come on, let's go." He leans back and grabs a bag.
She nods, and they get off the car. Damon shoulders the bag and takes her hand, holding it tight, bracing himself for the next temper tantrum he is sure will befall him within the next few minutes.
Elena looks curiously around for any sign to show her where in Richmond they are. When she detects one, she incredulously narrows her eyes. "Is that a plane on that sign? Are we…" she jerks to a halt, staring at Damon, eyes wide open now. The only answer she gets of him speaks volumes; he just smirks.
"What the hell are we doing at the airport?" Her voice is calm, but laced with anger, although she doesn't know at all yet what really is expecting her.
Damon drags her along toward the exit. "Let's see…uh, fishing? No, not enough water, I suppose…"
"Damon…" She glares at him now.
"Elena." He never can resist to that one, although he knows he's moving on dangerous ground. He tosses her a side glance, then rolls his eyes and sighs again. "What could we possibly do at an airport?"
Her jaw drops. "You're not telling me that we're gonna fly somewhere?"
He grins and shrugs.
"We're…Where?" She's that puzzled that she even forgets to get angry.
He averts his eyes and answers with as much casualness as he can muster: "Rome…"
"Wha…What?" She's rooted to the spot again. "You're kidding, right? Seriously, Damon…"
He turns to her and sneaks his arms around her waist, gazing into her eyes intently. "I am serious, Elena. We are flying to Rome. I can show you the tickets, if you want to…" He holds her gaze with those mesmerizing eyes, and her resistance falters. Still she objects.
"I can't go to Rome now, Damon. I have to go to school…and I didn't bring along any clothes…"
Damon interrupts her, cupping her face. "School will still be there next week, and we can buy whatever we need in Rome. Um, apart from that…" He pats on the bag, and it's then when Elena realizes that it's a cooler bag. That convinces her more than his words that he's really being serious.
He frowns, pleading with her now. "Just a few days. Do it for me, Elena…just…do it."
These eyes! How could she ever resist these eyes? She breathes in deeply and sighs; then she wraps her arms around him and leans in to gently place a kiss on his lips and pulls back again. "Okay."
His eyes light up and a bright smile appears in his face. Happiness is emanating off of his every pore, and he pulls her in his arms, embracing her tightly.
And all she can think about is how happy she is to be with him.
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"Wow!"
Elena stands at the window of their hotel room and looks out, still stunned. She opens the window and leans out a little; she can see the Colosseum from here. She feels his arms slipping around her middle, his chest leaning against her back, his chin resting on her shoulder, and she snuggles into his arms.
"I still can't believe we're here" she says amazed. "Why did it have to be Rome, Damon?"
He holds her tight, thinking back at the day when he pictured them in Rome for the first time; the thought of that day still pains him, and he clutches her even tighter. "Remember the day we defeated Klaus?" he asks her.
She nods; how could she forget about this day?
In a low voice, his cheek still leaning against hers, he goes on. "After we have buried the witch we watched the sun rising. It was…kinda romantic…you were holding my hand …" With the next words his voice hardens. "…while you made your decision to stay with my brother."
Elena winces slightly. The thought of that moment makes her shiver, and she entwines their arms.
"When I realized what you had done," Damon says after taking a deep breath, "I considered the possibility of kidnapping you…" She chuckles, and he can't help but smile, too. "…to bring you here. Since then I always saw us in Rome together, and for the next weeks…this image became somewhat comforting. And then, you…we…" He swallows. "And yet, the picture never left me. I…I don't know…" He shrugs, searching for words to explain his feelings. "I just needed to come here with you…to prove that it's real."
She squirms round in his arms, gently cupping his cheeks with her hands, placing a soft kiss on his lips.
"And it had to be a kidnapping…" She smiles. "It is real, Damon. And I can't wait to see all the places you have pictured us in…"
He pulls her closer, captures her lips again with his own, and as the kiss deepens she feels the familiar tingling feeling spreading through her veins. She wonders briefly how it comes that still, after half a year, every kiss makes her body react this way; then her brain shuts down. Damon breaks the kiss, only to trace his lips along her jaw line down to her neck, lingering over her jugular vein for a moment, then moving up a little, brushing her ear.
"I suppose I could not talk you into a postponement?" She feels his husky voice more than she hears it.
"It depends on what you're offering…" she manages to answer, releasing a soft moan as he presses a kiss on the delicate skin behind the tip of her ear. She's seeking for his lips again, giving him a heated kiss as soon as she has found them. He lifts her up easily, his hands holding her hips; she loops her legs around his waist when she hears him groaning into her mouth: "Me." With that he hauls them onto the bed, and neither of them thinks about Rome anymore.
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Dusk is already setting in until they have showered. They are not very hungry; Damon has downed one of the blood bags he brought along, and Elena just isn't; maybe she's still too excited to be in Rome. So they decide to stroll down the streets without any destination, taking in the ambience, marveling at the old stand posts that are everywhere to be found, and at the small alleyways where Damon can, spreading his arms, touch the houses on both sides at the same time; they buy some ice-cream despite the cool November weather, and Elena has to snuggle into Damon for not being cold, but – hey, they are in Italy, so they have to eat Italian ice-cream.
They also buy new clothes in some of those wonderful shops, most of them ridiculous expensive, but Damon pays for all of them without batting an eye and, even more remarkable, without using compulsion. In some crazy shops they make a show of trying on things neither of them ever would wear, bursting out laughing each time when they see each other, completely unperturbed by the sales clerks' indignant glances.
Elena is well aware that he wouldn't have done this with anybody else than her, and it makes her all the more happy. They are on their way looking for a drugstore to buy them the missing toiletries when she suddenly throws her arms around his neck and crashes against him; getting up on her tiptoes she kisses him fiercely, not caring about oddly looking passengers. Although surprised, Damon returns it immediately, and they are standing there, forgetting everything around them, getting lost in the feeling to hold each other.
"What was that for?" he asks her with glinting eyes when the kiss has ended up in an embrace.
She smiles at him. "For just being…you."
"That's all? Anytime…" he chuckles softly.
They move on and end up at the Spanish Steps, a long, broad staircase that, according to postcards they have seen, in warm weather is crowded with people just sitting there and eating ice-cream. Now it's not crowded, but there are still a lot of people, and as soon as Damon and Elena sit down on the steps they know why. The view on the illuminated fountain below is beautiful, street musicians are playing nearby despite the coolness, and it feels somehow…right to sit here; his arm glides around her shoulders, and she nestles against him.
"Thank you" Elena says quietly.
Damon doesn't ask; he understands.
He gently squeezes her shoulder and smiles.
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He doesn't know why he's awoken. Elena lies securely in his arms, sleeping soundly, everything seems to be alright.
And then he senses it.
She's crying.
Again.
His heart aches for the girl in his arm. She's crying in utter silence, just tears leaving her eyes and tracing down her face, leaving damp stains on his chest. Like she has done often during the past months, at least once a week. And he never knows why.
He never has told her. Sometimes he has asked her whether she has had nice dreams, and she always has wiped the question away, with a smile, a nod or a joke. She never has mentioned a dream that could have made her cry. But when ever he has studied her face afterward he has detected a hint of insecurity. And often he discerns her sneaking glances toward him later.
True, she has been through much, has lost many people she had loved. However, the nightly tears began to fall about three months after the sacrifice…
Damon sighs and tenderly strokes her hair, hoping that deep down she feels the comfort he's trying to give her.
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The days and nights spin away.
In Rome, there's something interesting to see at each corner. They walk a lot, and sometimes they take one of the mostly crowded buses. Twice a pickpocket tries to steal Damon's wallet; both times it ends with a broken hand and a pickpocket who doesn't even know why his hand is broken. Both times Elena is mad at him; she thinks that broken bones are a bit much and that actually compelling isn't necessary either, but he shrugs it off.
"Maybe he'll learn to keep his fingers away from other peoples wallets…" he says casually.
Elena scowls at him. "How could he learn something if he doesn't know why his hand is broken?" she snarls. He simply takes her in his arms, twining his arms around her and kisses her, and after a while she has nearly forgotten that she is supposed to be angry.
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Those days, they have it all. They are just perfect, and they both know it.
They are heading to their hotel the night before their last day when they pass the Colosseum for the umpteenth time. It looms large in front of them; the illumination is switched off at midnight due to the wintertime. Sadly it's currently closed for the public at that, apparently because of construction works.
"It's a shame that we can't get inside…" Elena sighs.
Damon casts a glance, considering his options. "You would have liked to see the inside?" he asks quietly, and she nods regretful.
He briefly looks around, then he wraps his arms around her middle. "Hold on tight..." he whispers in her ear. Elena looks bewildered, but she does as he has said.
As soon as he feels her arms around him, he leaps them upward, landing securely on one of the window sills. Elena gasps for air, squeezes her eyes shut and clutches him a little tighter; when she realizes that they are standing steady, she reopens her eyes tentatively, and a bright smile settles on her face when she sees where they are.
They are standing on the window sill at the third floor, or what used to be the third floor in the past; all what's remaining from the huge building at this point is in fact the wall with the windows in. She knows she should be afraid to stand on a small window sill high above the ground, but with Damon holding her steady she isn't. She's just thrilled about what she sees; the galleries for the audience and the remainders of the slave quarters which once had been underneath the arena floor let her imagination run wild.
"Can you bring us down there?" she asks excited; to be here all alone in the middle of the night makes it even more thrilling.
"Sure. Otherwise it would've been a dumb move to bring us up here in the first place…That's one of the perks of being a vampire." He smiles, wondering about the side glance she tosses him. At his questioningly raised brows she grins and shakes her head, so he lets it drop. "Hold on to me."
After the soft landing they saunter along the gallery they are now standing on and go downstairs to the arena then. When Damon sees her disappointment that no one is allowed to go down to the slave quarters, he snatches her unceremoniously and leaps them down, being rewarded with a bright smile and a soft kiss on his lips.
Feeling her lips on his, he deepens the kiss for a moment, still holding her in his embrace, and he feels her trembling slightly.
He narrows his eyes and takes a closer look at her; something's off. He has felt it the whole day and especially the night. She's nervous from time to time, distracted by anything that's going on in her mind; sometimes she's lost in thought for a moment, sometimes she sneaks furtive glances at him; and now she's trembling, and he knows she's not cold. He's still wondering if he should bring it up when she slips out of his embrace, taking a few steps away from him, then jerking to a halt.
She stands without moving for a while. He feels his stomach twisting into a knot, and anxiety is creeping through his veins. Whatever it is disturbing her, he knows she's bracing herself to talk to him.
Tentatively he steps closer to her, closing the remaining distance then. A thought of the nightly tears crosses his mind and he swallows. Something is emanating off of her that is close to fear, and he hears her heart racing. He wants to touch her, but he doesn't dare, suddenly too afraid to break something fragile. He waits for her to say something, but it seems as if she doesn't dare either. She needs his help, he can see that. Biting back his own fear, he lays his hands on her shoulder, gingerly, without any weight. When he speaks, his voice is low and tender.
"Tell me."
He can't see it, but he senses it; tears are threatening to spill. He sees her swallowing, and he knows it is an attempt to swallow them back.
"I have these dreams" Her voice is barely more than a whisper. He tenses.
"I know" he says hoarsely. She shifts her head slightly.
"You know?" she whispers.
He lifts one hand to feathery stroke her cheek. "You're crying…"
She nods, her gaze latches on the floor. She breathes in and out, shivery, she's that nervous.
"I'm dreaming of you…"
He doesn't answer. He waits.
She turns around, slowly, searching for his eyes, locking their gazes. "It's always the same dream, just not the same time. You, Stefan and Caroline look always the same, of course, but the others don't. Sometimes they are old, sometimes they are middle aged, sometimes even young. But apart from that, the dream doesn't change."
She grabs his hands now, holding them firmly in her own. "You're at a funeral. My funeral."
He breathes in sharply, but he doesn't flinch.
On the outside.
On the inside, he screams in absolute agony.
This is the definition of nightmare.
It's his nightmare, and he has it every day; during the day, when he's awake. As much as he tries to push it aside. It haunts him. He swallows.
"No wonder you're crying…"
Elena steps a little closer, shaking her head. "No, Damon, you don't understand. I'm not crying because I'm dead in my dream. It's because of you. It's because of what you look like in my dream."
She lets go of his hands and takes his face into her hands for a moment, then she grabs his hands again.
"I have seen you once like this. It was on your mother's grave, the day you wanted to leave. You were…broken. I did this to you. And I never wanted to do that again. But in my dream I keep on doing it. Over and over again."
She can see how much this thought hurts him, although he hides his face behind a well-proven mask; still, he can't hide his eyes, and they have darkened in the overwhelming fear of the day he will lose her for good. And suddenly he can't bear it anymore to be connected to her only by their hands; he lets go of her hands, only to haul her against him, throwing his arms around her and pushing her against him that it almost hurts her.
She doesn't wince. She knows he needs it. To have her as close as possible.
And she needs it, too.
After a while his tension ceases a little, and reluctantly he releases her. She takes his hand and leads him to a wall that is broken down low enough to sit on it, and that's what they do.
She gazes at him, and what she sees is all she needs not to hesitate anymore.
"I got something for you." She says softly, rummaging in her purse, chuckling at the genuine surprise appearing on his face.
"What? It's not my birthday yet…" he stares at her, incredulous; it's long time since anybody had a present for him.
She hands him a small blue box, and he takes it tentatively, looking a little as if he's waiting for a snake to come out and bite him. He holds it in his hands and stares on it, not daring to open it.
"Look, Damon, the present is in the box. You have to open it if you want to know what it is." She grins, and that finally convinces him to open the box. He lifts the lid and peers into it.
His eyes go wide and his jaw drops. He stops breathing, and he is absolutely certain that the world stops turning, the wind stops blowing and the water stops flowing.
Everything grinds to a halt.
His brain does anyways.
He can't think anymore.
He wants to say so many things. How glad he is, and how grateful, and how much easier his life will be now.
What he says then when his mouth finally obeys again is the only thing he didn't want to say at all.
And yet, it is the truth.
"I don't want that."
He gazes at Elena, then his glance drops to the box in his hand again.
On its bottom lies an ancient looking small silver ring.
With an embedded lapis lazuli.
A daylight ring.
She gingerly lays her hand on his arm. "Damon…"
He interrupts her. "I don't want that life for you, Elena" he says, his voice cracking, not completely in control.
"It's my life, Damon. And I want it. It was not an easy decision, but actually I made it already half a year ago. I made it when I decided to be with you. I just needed time to realize it. I told you, I can't walk away from you anymore. Never." She takes his hand, lacing their fingers.
"But you never wanted to be a vampire…" he objects silently, although there's nothing in this world he wishes more for.
"Remember the guy in Atlanta?" she asks calmly.
Finally he lifts his gaze again, searching for hers, locking their eyes. "Lexi's boyfriend?" He snorts at the memory. "Yeah, of course…"
"He told me that if you want to be with one forever, you have to live forever. Back then I didn't want to be a vampire because I didn't have that feeling. But now I have. I want to be with you forever. And I never want to break you again. Not even with my death."
She takes a deep breath. "I'm not ready yet. I still need a little more time, a year or two. But this" she nods toward the box in his hand, "is my promise to you; you will never have to stand at my grave."
Damon holds her eyes a little longer, then he looks down to the box in his hand. He lays it on his leg, takes the ring out, grabs Elena's hand and slips the ring over her middle finger. Then, holding both her hands in his own, he lifts his head, gazing into her eyes again.
"Trust me, Elena, I'm beyond glad that you want to spend eternity with me. But I want you to promise me, that if you ever have doubts, you'll talk to me. I'd rather lose you one day than spend eternity with you hating me because you felt forced into this life."
She squeezes his hands and, holding his gaze, says firmly: "I promise. But I'm sure."
He doesn't want her to change her mind. Not really. But she has to know what the worst part of being a vampire is. "You will watch everyone you love dying; again and again…"
He watches her thoroughly; her eyes drop to the floor and she looks sad now. He can see tears glistening in her eyes. He can tell that she tries to bite them back, but then she lifts her gaze up again, and as soon as their eyes meet, they spill. He knows she's thinking about her parents and about Jeremy, and he feels compassion rising up. He takes her in his arms and holds her tight. He doesn't say a word. There's no need to.
He knows that she understands.
She knows that he understands, too.
When the silent shedding tears ceases, she pulls away to look into his eyes again, taking in a deep breath.
Her voice is steady again, firm. Confident.
"I won't lose you."
He closes his eyes for a moment, and when he opens them again they are filled with everything he's feeling for her.
"I love you, Elena" he says quietly. She doesn't answer, but he sees happiness reappearing in her eyes, and he knows that's all she needs; to know he loves her.
And that's all he needs; to know it's his love that makes her happy.
Forever.
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THE END
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A/N: Tell me what you think...
