Hey guys!
So it only took forever, but here's the final chapter of this story! (Might add an epilogue, but that's tbd)
Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who stuck with it and read and reviewed! I love you guys and your patience knows no bounds!
Anyway, hope you enjoy and I'll catch ya at the bottom!
ELENA
Red hats are falling around me like confetti, the tassels that dangle from them catching the sun in a glittering haze that signals the end of my high school career.
It's over. We're done. And yet, so much is just beginning.
A grin is plastered on my face, and has been since I walked across the stage moments ago to the sound of deafening applause and ear splitting whistles from my new family.
The Brotherhood has turned out a full membership to celebrate this day, and I can see them now through the crowds of students and parents filling the football field.
A solid wall of black leather that would soon be engulfing us with praise and congratulations, the same that has been lavished on us all week.
Because, through hail and high waters, we had made it to graduation.
"Elena!"
I turn at the sound of my name, just in time to see Damon shouldering his way to me, the smile on his face matching my own.
His cap is in his hand and the red graduation gown has fallen open to reveal a form fitting black button up over matching slacks.
Lily had forced some formality for the occasion when he'd tried to get away with wearing the usual jeans and T-shirt.
It was a good call, because he looks perfect, with his bright expression and the soon to be setting sun casting an orangish haze over his face, making his dark hair appear auburn.
"We survived!" I exclaim when he reaches me, the rush of excitement still running through me.
Instead of answering, Damon picks me up off the ground and kisses me deeply.
I laugh against his lips as he twirls me around, the hems of our gowns swishing some in the process.
"I'm so proud of you," he whispers breathlessly.
This moment is one of the happiest of my life, and is made even better when the rest of our friends join us.
"Guys! We did it! We graduated!" Caroline reaches me first, her excited shouts echoing in my ear as she pulls me from Damon and into her arms for a hug.
She then gives the same treatment to my boyfriend, then Bonnie, who appears next to him with Enzo at her side.
Tyler comes up behind them, throwing an arm over Damon's shoulder, "High school is officially behind us! And you know what that means..."
Damon's grin says it all and I can't help but smile with him.
Tonight, the Brotherhood of Crows is throwing a party, not only to celebrate our graduation, but also Damon's official patch in to the club.
Guiseppe made the announcement this morning and Damon had been riding an air of elation ever since, counting down the hours until he got his kutte with more enthusiasm than our actual graduation ceremony.
"It's about fucking time!" Enzo laughs, clapping Damon's back, "It's gonna be a long night, brother! This angel here has given me full permission to get shitfaced in your honor."
Bonnie rolls her eyes as he kisses the side of her head, but there's a smirk on her face, "Enjoy it. Because after tonight, you're back on restriction until your child is born."
Enzo just grins, his hand slipping to the slight bump that is showing under Bonnie's dress, and she copies his expression.
They had decided to keep and raise the baby.
Predictably, Bonnie's family had been less than thrilled when they found out about this, shunning both her and Enzo.
It had been a hard few weeks that followed, but the Brotherhood stepped up and is making sure all their needs are being met.
Guiseppe even assured Enzo a full time position at the auto shop while they get their feet beneath them.
Bonnie has enrolled for online school, and as far as I know, still plans on working toward her degree once the baby is born.
It'll be rough, but if anyone can make it work, it's those two.
"You're going to be a great mom," I praise, as Bonnie lets go of Enzo to hug me, "I can't wait to spoil the little guy! Or girl!"
"Oh, it's going to be a boy," Enzo insists and I laugh, "How can you possibly know that?"
He shrugs, "I'm a gambling man."
Bonnie starts to scold him, but I don't hear the words, because there is suddenly a bunch of black leather around us.
Zachariah, Giuseppe, Lily, Stefan, and Zach Salvatore, Alaric Saltzman, Joshua and Lexi Branson, Lorenzo Sr, Mason and Richard Lockwood, Connor Jordan, and more; all familiar, all smiling.
"Congratulations," Giuseppe addresses us first, "We're so proud of you kids. This day has been a long time coming!"
There are some whoops and hollers after that statement, and Zachariah Salvatore steps forward, holding something in his arms.
"For some, more than others...Damon…"
At his grandfather's beckoning, Damon slips his hands from where they were resting on my waist and stands straight, meeting the eldest Salvatore's gaze.
"You're young, with a lot of learning still to do," Zachariah admits affectionately, "But you're becoming a young man that we are all proud of. Your loyalty and love for our family and our club has not been unnoticed or unappreciated. And for that, as you know, we held a vote in Church last night."
I have to blink back tears at the look of pure happiness on Damon's face.
This is the moment he's been waiting for his entire life.
Zachariah gives Giuseppe the object he has been clutching, and the club president unfolds it for the view of all.
"The vote was unanimous," Giuseppe grins and holds up the leather kutte with it's Crow and Skull patch, "Welcome to the Brotherhood, son."
The next few minutes are a chaotic mess that earn us more than a few stares as Damon proudly recites the Oath he had once told me about.
The moment is emotional and timeless and perfect.
The Brothers around us shout their response at the conclusion, all patting and congratulating Damon when his father slides the vest over his shoulders.
It fits him like a glove, even over the red gown, and as the ovation calms, Lily is the first to move forward.
She pulls Damon into her arms, and despite her previous objections to his joining, there is a smile on her face.
"I'm so proud of you, baby," she tells him, and Damon whispers something back to her that is drowned in a new wave of cheers.
She holds his face for a moment after she releases him and Damon places a kiss on her palm.
"Thank you, Mom," he mouths, before Giuseppe steps in for his turn.
I watch as Damon is showered with love and praise from everyone around him, my heart full at the support.
Lily catches my eye and maneuvers over to me, giving me an embrace that is just as heartfelt as the one she gave Damon, "I'm proud of you too, Sweetheart! So damn proud!"
I hug her tighter to me, wanting to say thank you, wanting to tell her how much she means to me and how grateful I am for her and everything she and the Brotherhood has done for me.
But there would never be enough words to encompass my gratitude, so instead I say something else.
Something just as true.
"I love you, Lily."
She pulls away and our gazes meet, her blue eyes so open and warm, "I love you too, baby girl. You're the daughter I had always hoped to have, and I am so happy you came to us."
As if tears weren't already threatening to spill, someone else cuts in, "As am I."
I spin to see Grayson, with Miranda and Jeremy standing close behind him.
In truth, we share no blood, but it means the world that they are here, still willing to love and support me after everything.
I give Lily a small nod in dismissal, and she smiles before stepping away to allow us a little privacy.
"I'm so glad you came," I tell Grayson and he walks over to hug me.
"I wouldn't have missed it."
I bury my face into his neck and not for the first time, wish that he could have actually been my father.
That I truly could be a Gilbert, not a Mikaelson, but we only have the cards we've been dealt and we are trying to make the best of them.
John, Isobel, and the Founding Family left after the surgery, and Grayson had sat down with me for a long talk.
I told him about the confrontation with Elijah, the truth of my paternity, and my plans to stay with the Brotherhood in the wake of the Family's departure.
If he was surprised or hurt by the news, he had hidden it well, only hugging me as he is now, and promising that nothing was going to change his feelings about me.
That I was family, no matter what; a notion that Miranda had whole-heartedly backed him up on, assuring me that I would always have a place with them if I wanted it.
It was such a kind offer, but as much as I might have wished I could say yes and let things go back to how they had been for months, the truth is that too much has changed.
I am never going to escape the life I had been running from, but with the Brotherhood, I don't have to run anymore.
I belong with them, in the Salvatore's giant log cabin home on the outskirts of town with the built in clubhouse, not in the suburbs of Mystic Falls trying to be Miss All American.
Grayson is a good person with a simple family life that he has worked hard for.
I will always love him for what he has done for me, but it's time for us all to move on and embrace the truth.
And the truth is that the Gilberts are better off with me loving them from a distance.
They aren't cut from the same cloth as the Brotherhood, and when issues with the Highway Kings inevitably start, I won't chance their getting dragged into the chaos.
I let Grayson go, and move to hug both Miranda and Jeremy, who offer their own congratulations.
"Remember," Miranda says to me, "If you need anything, we're just a call away! Help with your classwork, money for textbooks, anything at all!"
I laugh, "Thanks, but I think I'm all set."
The Salvatore's had made sure my education could continue without any obstacles, and now Damon and I are both set to attend the community college a few towns over come September.
We had decided that the proximity to Mystic Falls was the best option, in case the Kings began to retaliate sooner, rather than later, and Lily was excited that Damon had agreed to any college at all.
Honesty, it had surprised me as well, but he had made a sound case.
It would be easier to ensure my safety if he were on campus with me, and maybe, just maybe, an Associate's degree in business could come in handy, if he ever ended up taking over one of his parent's businesses.
"I'll swing by on the weekends occasionally, though," I assure Miranda with a soft smile, "Let you know how exciting Freshman life is."
She chuckles, "I look forward to it."
She hugs me again, until my name is being called, and Caroline is suddenly next to us, "Picture time! Lily wants all of us!"
I allow myself to be pulled along, motioning for Miranda and Grayson to follow, as Caroline leads us back to the Brotherhood's group.
Enzo, Bonnie, Tyler, and Damon are already being forced to into a huddle when we reach them, and Lily, who is front and center with a camera waves us over.
Caroline and I join the others, and I slide myself between Damon and Bonnie, who both wrap their arms around me.
"Say: Graduation!" Liz, Caroline's Mom, yells out from behind her own camera, and we all obey.
A chorus of "GRADUATION!" rings out, and between the cameras and the phones of the Brotherhood, there are probably a hundred pictures taken.
We do a few crazy poses and silly faces, before Lily decides that she wants one of just the girls...then one of just the boys.
My face hurts from smiling by the time she gets down to taking one of just me and Damon, but I'm far from complaining.
As he wraps his arms around me, and the camera flashes, I'm once again hit with the significance of this day, and I'm happy it's being thoroughly documented.
"Kiss her!" Mason shouts over jokingly.
Damon complies, locking his embrace before dipping me back and touching his lips to mine.
There's laughter as Lily snaps the shot and a few whistles follow.
When Damon lets me back up, I'm breathless and grinning, and he's exactly the same.
"I love you," he tells me, and though I've heard it a thousand times by now, my heart still flutters.
"I love you, too."
It's another fifteen minutes before we finish up with the after ceremony celebrations, and Giuseppe whistles loudly to get the groups attention.
He reminds everyone about the party at the clubhouse later, and after a few more rounds of shouting and clapping and congratulating, the gathering breaks up to head to the school parking lot, where most of the school's crowd has shifted.
I wave goodbye to the Gilberts there, then to Caroline, who is riding with her Mom, as Damon leads me to where his bike is parked next to Enzo's Sportster.
He and Bonnie are already there, stuffing their caps and gowns into the saddlebag to prep for the ride.
It is going to be considerably less fun, and less safe, to straddle the bikes in dresses, but I have faith in our boys.
"How's that leather fitting?" Enzo's teeth flash with his smile as we approach.
Damon drops my hand to do a slow turn, the bright Crow patch flashing at us from his back, "Like it's been waiting eighteen years to be worn."
The two fist bump, then Damon shakes his head, "I honestly didn't think I'd get it until tonight."
"Your dad wanted to surprise you," Enzo explains with a shrug, leaning back against his bike seat, "Guess he figured you'd waited long enough."
"Damon runs a hand down the front of the kutte, "It was worth it."
He glances down at the leather, as if in awe that it is actually there on his body.
"It looks good on you," I admit, placing my hand over his, and his eyes lift to mine.
That soft smile I love echoes from his lips and I place a gentle kiss on them, "You deserve it, baby."
He pulls me into his arms and I snuggle against his side in contentment.
"Can you guys actually believe that this is happening?" Bonnie asks wistfully.
She's sitting sideways on the back seat now, her knees pressed against Enzo's arm, "You're both patched in. High school is over," she nudges her boyfriend, "We're having a baby...Nothing is ever going to be the same."
"No," Enzo agrees, "It's not. And that's okay. We're ready."
She smirks at him, "You sound so sure."
"I am," he nods, then glances over to me and Damon, "Because we're all here, aren't we? We've made it this far."
"There were a few snags," Damon teases, squeezing my shoulder, then moves so he can remove his own gown from beneath the kutte, "But he's right. Whatever happens after today, we'll handle it. Together. As a family."
"Family," I repeat, copying his motions as the word sinks in.
When both of our gowns are tucked away with the caps in Damon's saddle bag, I take a moment to glance around.
I take in the parking lot, the school buildings, the now empty alley that leads to the football field we'd just left.
My eyes settle back on our friends and I lose myself to the moment.
It really is fitting, and I blink back tears as a wave of emotion hits me.
My first day here at Mystic Falls High feels like a lifetime ago, when my lost and hurting heart walked its way over to this group of people, in this very same parking lot, and found a kinship I hadn't been expecting.
Like that day, there is an ease and familiarity between each of us that warms every part of me, because that is what love and family is supposed to be.
Cosmic connection.
"I guess I really am stuck with you guys now," Bonnie's mind is running a similar path to my own, but her attempt at a joke is lost in the fondness in her tone.
"Better believe it, Bennett," Damon winks at her, then kisses my forehead, "You're both Old Ladies now."
I laugh at the idea, and Bonnie's eyes roll good naturedly.
"I'll believe that when I see diamond rings being put on a certain finger," she fires back and Damon arches a brow, then glances at his best friend, "Enzo, I think your girl is proposing to me."
Enzo sighs with exaggerated weariness, "Bonnie, love, we've talked about this. If anyone is marrying Damon, it's me. You need to wait your turn."
"Damn," she feigns disappointment and I smirk at Damon, "I didn't realize you came in such high demand."
"You didn't?" he frowns, "When I'm so perfectly desirable?"
"Eh," I give him a once over, "Lets talk dowry, then we can consider how desirable you are for marriage."
His mouth falls open a little, "All this time, you were only in it for the money, huh?"
I blink in surprise, "Oh. Was that not clear from the beginning? My bad. I hate miscommunications."
Faking offence, he steps away from me to climb onto the Softail, "I should leave you here. I doubt that would be miscommunicated."
I shrug, "Sure. Take your fiancee over there with you, then maybe Bonnie and I will have a few moments of peace."
"He won't do that," Bonnie jumps in, "Because then we might realize we're better off with each other than them. They fear our self awareness."
Enzo curses harshly, "They're onto us, brother."
Damon laughs, then shakes his head, "Of all the things I fear, self awareness isn't one of them. However, my mother is. And if we take too long getting home, she'll be waiting in the driveway with her claws out."
We all wince a little at the thought.
"Good call," I sigh, "These proposals will have to wait for another day. We should head out."
The others agree, and our bantering fades to growing excitement for the festivities waiting at the clubhouse.
It is our night, after all, and I doubt the Brotherhood has planned a half ass party.
We all mount into our seats, and Damon kick starts the engine, bringing the bike to life beneath us with a purr.
With Enzo and Bonnie close behind, we make our way out of the school parking lot for what feels like the final time.
Again, a bittersweet nostalgia grips me as we drive onto the blacktop.
It is so strange and incredible to think of all the changes that have happened since the first time I rode on the back of Damon's motorcycle...on this exact same road.
And like that day, he takes us up through the gears, until we are flying more than riding, and that familiar vibration surrounds us as the pine trees we're passing turn into tall green blurs.
I wrap my arms tighter around Damon's waist and lean my head against his back, breathing in all the sensations.
This is where I am happy...where nothing bad could reach us, and all the dramas of reality fade away.
Damon moves us effortlessly, winding down the roads as if he and the bike are a part of them, and each other.
Somehow, it feels that way.
The heat from the exhaust is the same heat from his touch; the speed leaves me as breathless as his kisses, and the hum of the engine is the purr in Damon's chest when his body is pressed against mine.
We could keep riding around this town, forever and ever, and I'd never stop moving; never stop falling.
For this moment. For this life. For this boy.
It took me a long time to get here, but I no longer have any regrets about the journey.
This, with him, is home.
The end! :)