AUTHOR'S NOTES

- !NOTE!: this chapter will include depictions of dementia, and I have been consulting the internet as a source. please know that my descriptions may not be 100% accurate.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries or the characters, I make no money from this.

"Josie and Lizzie are getting so big, it's crazy," Elena muses, letting Liam take off her coat, "It feels like just yesterday I was watching them teething on their toys, and now they're already getting visits from the tooth fairy."

"Soon that'll be us talking about our little girl," Liam chuckles, patting her protruding belly affectionately, "Guess what name Damon recommended to me at dinner?"

"Damonia?"

"Close, he said Damia."

"I'm not even surprised," Elena laughs, grunting a little as she plops down on the couch, rubbing her belly slowly. Her smile fades, she's chewing on her lip nervously and speaks again softly, "I actually had another name in mind for the baby."

"Okay, what is it?" Liam asks, brushing Elena's hair out of her face.

"I'm not saying we have to choose it, I know we have other names on the list and I understand if the name makes you uncomfortable...I was thinking of Stefanie, but with an F instead of a PH."

"Oh...Oh!" recognition dawns on Liam's face, "After Stefan…"

"Be honest, okay? I know it's weird, because Stefan was my old boyfriend, and it's kind of my way of honouring him, so just say the word if you don't like it. Seriously, it's our kid, me and youare the ones deciding everything."

"Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"I kinda like it," Liam grins, his eyes glazed slightly, "little Stefanie Davis, it's pretty."

"You're serious?" Elena asks slowly, her eyes searching Liam's face.

"Yeah. I know we won't really know the baby's name until she comes out, but I like it, really," Liam answers earnestly, when Elena feels the baby kick, tiny flutters going off inside her. She grabs Liam's hand, placing it on her belly and they grin as they feel the baby kick.

Two months later, when Liam's at the grocery store and Elena's resting in bed, she gets these odd back cramps and quickly realizes she's in labour. Liam rushes back home as soon as she calls, her due date wasn't for another week so he's failing miserably to stay calm as they drive to the hospital. It takes three hours before Elena finally delivers a beautiful and healthy baby girl.

Everyone comes to visit within the next few days, bringing baby gifts and colourful bouquets to officially meet Elena's daughter, Stefanie Miranda Davis.

Elena's on baby mode 24/7, used to waking up in the middle of the night and constantly organizing her and Liam's hospital shifts accordingly. She has no idea how her parents managed to do it all with her and Jeremy, it always seemed so effortless with them but she has also Liam at her side, who's been taking care of babies ever since he was young.

When Stefanie turns two, they decide to move a little closer to Mystic Falls, that way help is a little less far away and Stefanie can be around more family. She's a little quiet, always slightly wary of new people but she's always very cheery and curious with her parents, randomly asking odd questions and singing around the house. It always makes Elena's day to hear her daughter's tiny high-pitched voice echoing through the halls of their home.

A little while after they're all moved in, Elena becomes pregnant again. Her and Liam secretly hope it'll be a boy, but most of all that the baby will just be happy and healthy. Stefanie doesn't fully understand what a new baby means, but she's excited to have a new playmate besides Matt's daughter, Tori. Bonnie, vampire of three years now, and Damon return to a nearby town outside of Mystic Falls, deciding to take a break from their travels and are always more than happy to babysit when Elena and Liam are busy.

On a cool October evening, Elena's son Grayson John Davis is born after five hours of labour. He's a little earlier than expected, so they stay an extra day in the hospital for observation but thankfully everything looks good and they take him home. Stefanie greets them at the door, hopping on her feet excitedly with a bunch of drawings in hand, and Bonnie and Damon are overjoyed to meet Elena's second child.

Once Elena's off maternity leave, she decides to work on starting up her own medical practice as a family doctor. She's still a little young to do it, but she has the money and wants more control over her own work. She begins planning out everything, talking to accountants and other business-owners while reading over different forms and files every night. It's a long and hard process, which is even more difficult since she has two kids to look after. Liam's more than happy to support Elena and help her, but he's had to take on more hospital shifts to help with money, so he's just not around as much.

After a particularly rough week with Stefanie sick and Elena running into problems with creating a medical billing service, she calls Bonnie for help during the afternoon while Liam's at work.

"...probably have errands to run and you're getting ready to visit Caroline, but you'd be doing me a huge favour-"

"Elena, don't worry, I'll come but, uh, Damon can't. He's visiting Stefan today."

"Visiting...Stefan?" Elena frowns, checking her calendar when the guilt sets in, tears filling her eyes. "Oh my god, I forgot, it's the anniversary of S-Stefan's death, I'm such a horrible person, I can't believe I completely forgot about it, why didn't I realize…?"

Elena tries to keep it together, masking her tears from her kids and tries to stay occupied until Bonnie arrives. She always made sure to visit Stefan's grave on this day, no matter how complicated life got. She can't help but feel like she's failed him, as if she's dishonoured him in some way.

Bonnie eventually shows up, a sympathetic smile on her face, "You go, okay? The kids will be fine, I'll explain everything to Liam and you take the time you need. Don't beat yourself up. Remember, you're happy, and that's all that Stefan ever wanted."

"Hey Stef. I'm so sorry, I completely forgot about today...I feel like I've thrown you away, or forgotten you. But that's the furthest thing from the truth, really, I'm sorry. Um, anyways, things are going good. Josie and Lizzie are getting super big, it's terrifying...Matt had twins too, boys named Drew and Lucas, they're adorable. Tori was super excited to have two little brothers. Tyler's married now, to a woman named Theresa, I went to their wedding in Denver and I can tell they're gonna be really happy together. Jer's still a bachelor, no surprise there. Caroline's living a glamorous life in Miami, she got her third degree, this time it's in marketing. Bonnie and Damon are doing well too, they're going backpacking in South America in a few months. The kids are growing so fast, sometimes it scares me. Stefanie's starting kindergarten, she's getting excited and Grayson's becoming more chatty everyday. Me and Liam are good, I signed a lease for my medical practice and Liam's working on a promotion. We're thinking of taking the kids to Disneyworld next year. A part of me wishes you were here to see all this, I know you'd adore Stefanie. I love you, Stefan. I always will."

Elena ends up getting pregnant one last time at thirty-six, giving birth to a girl named Summer Nadine Davis. It's a way of honouring both her mother and Liam's, as well as her Aunt Jenna, and her family is finally complete.

Her business as a family doctor has taken off, gaining more clients every year and she takes on more staff, that way she can spend more time with her family. She'll drive Stefanie to soccer practice, take Grayson to playdates and show up to toddler music classes with Summer. Every Friday night, her and Liam will plan movie nights for the kids, buy some snacks and push back bedtime a little. They only have so long until their kids will decide their friends are better company than their silly old parents.

The rest of the old Mystic Falls gang grows up too, Elena still sees Bonnie and Damon frequently, but also Matt when their kids get together for playdates and Elena will sometimes organize lunches for her, Liam, Alaric and Jo. Still, it's not without its challenges; after Elena drops off Summer at kindergarten, she gets a call hours later and has to leave work to get Summer.

Elena walks into the office, reaching the secretary, "Hi, I'm Elena Davis. I was called in about an incident with my youngest daughter, Summer...?"

"Hi, yes. She's in the office with Vice Principal Danforth, just knock on the door," the secretary replies, pointing to the first door on the right and Elena nods.

She walks over, knocking on the door and peeks her head inside, "Hi, I'm Elena Davis."

"Mrs. Davis, please come in, I was just chatting with Summer here about what happened today," Vice Principal Danforth says as Elena steps inside and takes a seat beside her daughter, who's staring at the floor while her legs swing back and forth. "Today, we had our fire drill, just to practice for safety reasons. I understand it was Summer's first time experiencing this, and while Mr. Liang explained it clearly, Summer refused to leave the room when the fire drill started. She became very stubborn, and the whole drill had to be postponed...if a real fire had occurred, then this could've put not only Summer but also our other students and staff in danger."

"Yes, of course, I will definitely deal with this when I take Summer home," Elena answers immediately, glancing at her youngest daughter, who's still looking down.

"That's good to hear, Mrs. Davis. The school will also have to give some sort of disciplinary measure. In some cases, suspension might be an option but we thought it would be best if Summer were kept inside during recess for a week."

"I completely agree, thank you for bringing this to my attention. Will I need to take Summer home?"

"Yes, I think it would be best. I will alert Summer's brother and sister that she won't be on the bus home. Thank you for your time."

Elena nods, getting up from her chair and Summer follows, putting on her bag. They walk out of the office together, leaving the school building and Elena grabs Summer's hand gently as they walk to the car.

"Are you happy at me?" Summer asks nervously.

"Mommy wants to understand what happened first with you before she decides if she's happy with you," Elena replies. They reach the car, and Elena walks Summer over to the driver's seat, to her daughter's confused surprise. Elena picks her up, setting her in the passenger's seat before sitting down in the driver's seat to talk with her. "Why didn't you want to leave the classroom?"

"The fire sound went off on our class break, and Mr. Liang said we could play! I couldn't use the lego blocks all week, and today I finally got to use them until the fire drill started and I didn't want to go!" Summer explains heatedly, her tiny nose scrunched up in annoyance.

"Summer, I know it can be hard not to get your turn to play but with something like a fire drill, you need to listen. Do you know why?"

Summer sighs, "Mr. Liang said because it helps make sure we're safe."

"Exactly. Do you think staying in the classroom is safe?"

"No."

"Good. Tomorrow, when you go to school, I want you to apologize to your class, alright? And there's going to be no electronic devices or dessert for a week," Summer pouts a little, and Elena continues quickly, "I'm going to have to tell your daddy about this, and we can talk more about what happened, okay?"

"Okay."

"Okay. Give Mommy a kiss?" Elena asks, patting her own cheek lightly and Summer relents, pressing a sticky kiss to Elena's cheek. "Thank you, Summer. Now, let's get you in the back and go home."

Elena pulls into the middle school parking lot, watching the other students head inside for the first day of school and glances in the rearview mirror at her own two kids. Stefanie's already grabbing her bag, stepping out of the car excitedly, "Bye Mom! C'mon, Grayson, let's go!"

Elena glances at Grayson, who's fiddling nervously with his seatbelt and staring down at his lap, "Sweetheart, why don't you find your friends and wait inside for Grayson, okay? Go have a great first day."

Stefanie glances at her brother, before shrugging a little and waves, leaving the car, "Okay! Bye!"

Elena waves happily, watching Stefanie skip towards school before turning her attention to Grayson, "How you feeling, bud? Has Dad's pep talk worn off already?"

"A little," Grayson admits as Elena puts the car in park and moves in her seat to face her son, "I'm just not as good at making friends like Dad or Aunt Bonnie. It's easy for them. What if no one likes me?"

"I think that's physically impossible," Elena replies earnestly, and Grayson gives her an exasperated look, "You have so many good qualities, I don't know a single person that doesn't like you. Sometimes it takes time to make friends, and that's normal for a lot of people! Even though you say you're not as good at making friends, you're amazing at so many other things. You're good at baseball but you play so many sports that I can hardly remember all of them, you're smart and helpful, you make funny jokes and you aren't too smelly."

Grayson giggles a little, and Elena smiles, watching him relax a little, "Who's picking me up again?"

"Uncle Damon's gonna be here with his very cool car. Your dad will be home before me, and you can tell him all about your day."

"Okay...I think I'm gonna go now," Grayson says slowly, unbuckling his seatbelt and grabs his bag, "Thanks, Mom. See you later."

"Have a good first day, Gray. Love you."

"Love you too," he replies, getting out of the car, beginning to walks towards the entrance, still looking a little nervous but more confident in his step.

Elena watches time pass by, her kids continue to grow in height and in spirit; Stefanie's coming into her own, trying to figure out her path in the future while Grayson and Summer are always full of energy, eager to learn and are slowly realizing the world that exists around them. They're learning more about Elena's own supernatural history, getting bits of pieces from old memories that Elena or her friends share, realizing that there are real monsters who lurk in the shadows. But it helps to have a family who's hell-bent on protecting their own. Elena watches more grey hairs appear, wrinkles starting to line her face and sometimes she laments about how old she's getting, but at the same time, it's a gift, getting to see the age on her face.

"I'm gonna go see if Gray and Summer are ready to go, did you wanna check on Stef?" Liam asks, adjusting his tie in the mirror while Elena finishes applying her lipstick.

"Sure."

"Great," Liam replies, pressing a quick kiss to Elena's cheek before leaving the bathroom and she can hear him calling the kids. She heads over to Stefanie's bedroom, side-stepping Grayson who's rushing through the hallway and Elena peeks her head in to see Stefanie examining herself in the mirror, dressed in her cap and gown.

"Look at you," Elena marvels softly, grinning, "You're so grown-up."

"Mom, are you already getting emotional?" Stefanie asks amusedly, and Elena walks into the room properly, smoothing out Stefanie's hair.

"You're my first baby, can you blame me? I can still remember the first day of kindergarten when I dropped you off, your teary face watching as I left the classroom. It broke my heart, I told your dad all about it and how worried I was, until you came home and you were so happy, you talked about your day all through dinner. Now look at you, ready to take on the world."

"More or less," Stefanie comments, "but I'm gonna miss high school."

"That's natural, so did I at the time. You're leaving behind a part of your life, it's hard but there's so much to look forward to. I had a great time in college, you will too at Northwestern and then your life really starts. I can't wait to see what you do. So, are you ready to graduate?"

"Yeah," Stefanie smiles, "Let's go."

Stefanie's high school graduation arrives, and Elena can't help but cry a little as her first child walks up to collect her diploma. Both Grayson and Summer exchange slightly amused looks, shaking their heads at their mother's emotional state while Liam just rubs Elena's back reassuringly, letting her lean on him as he cheers loudly for Stefanie.

Eventually all of Elena's kids pile out of the house, making their place in the world; Grayson heads to the westcoast to attend Santa Clara University and Summer goes off to John Hopkins. They still come home for the summers and holidays, but they don't need their parents all that much anymore. Still, Elena is always happy to get the occasional phone call or text from her children, usually filled with exciting details about their college life.

Elena stays busy with her medical practice, taking on more hours with the kids gone and she makes plans with her friends, going on walks every morning as opposed to the jogs she took in her youth. She's not as young as she used to be, but she still has some energy left in her to keep on moving.

But one thing isn't quite the same; her marriage has changed. Her and Liam hardly go on dates, much less talk all that much, both of them have taken on more work shifts without even consulting the other. Dinners are spent in front of a TV or watching some type of screen, they don't really laugh with each other anymore and gone are the days of Elena finding breakfast waiting for her after a morning walk. It doesn't even really bother her all that much either. She still loves Liam, she knows this but she doesn't have much to say to him anymore, their relationship has run its course.

They finally address it, on a quiet night where they're eating dinner together but neither are speaking, instead reading something on their tablets.

"It's not just me, is it?" Liam asks suddenly, turning off his screen and scratches his salt-and-pepper hair pensively.

"What do you mean?"

"Things between us...they haven't been the same for awhile."

"No, they haven't," Elena pauses, trying to find the right words as she takes off her reading glasses, "It's not like I don't love you, Liam, I do. It's...I don't know, maybe it's because the kids are gone and we're older now..."

"Yeah, maybe," Liam echoes, "So, what now? I don't want to tie you down, or beat a dead horse in this case. We could go to couples' counselling, follow all the steps...or we could separate on good terms, take out any potential hurt."

Elena studies Liam for a moment; she knows him so well, after decades together, she can tell he'd rather cut it loose. He's seen bad blood fester, he knows it doesn't always work out and this has been going on for awhile. At this point, he's not interested in fixing anything and honestly, neither is she. "I don't want to end up hating you. You're still one of the most important people in my life, but separation might be the best option."

"Yeah, I agree."

"I hope you know you really did make me happy, and I'll always love you. You gave me the most beautiful family I could ever ask for. 33 years together, and you were always the best husband and father."

"I couldn't have done it without you," Liam replies, a bittersweet smile on his face, "You were the one that gave me our three amazing kids. I couldn't have had this wonderful life without you. I'll always love you too, Elena. It's just time to let go."

Elena smiles sadly, "And it's over, just like that."

The kids don't take it that well; Summer being the most upset, even a little angry with Elena as she's always been closer to Liam while Grayson is the other way around, having argued with Liam on the phone a couple times before going to check up on Elena. Stefanie is at least the most understanding, but even she takes a couple weeks before actually talking to her parents again. But they all come around eventually, taking time to adjust to their parents' separation.

Elena finds a new place to live while Liam moves to Norfolk, near Virginia Beach as they've both agreed it's best to stay close by so it's comfortable for the kids. News slowly travels around to Elena's friends, who are all extremely sympathetic and more than willing to help out however they can. Bonnie and Damon come to visit her and her kids, as they've always been close to her family and want to check up on them; Caroline takes it a step further, deciding to come back from Milan to support Elena despite her protests that she'll be fine. But it's nice to have the company, even if Caroline's still youthful and Elena's idea of a fun night is watching TV with a cup of tea in her hand or taking a walk in the park.

The divorce takes almost two years to finally complete, neither Elena or Liam were in a rush anyway but the process took awhile since they parted on good terms. Custody battles aren't a problem, the money is dealt with well enough and the whole affair is wrapped up nicely. Elena decides to cut back on her hours at her practice, spending more time with Caroline, calling her kids every week or so and winding down so she can enjoy her days a little more.

Elena's dressed in all-black, frowning a little and Caroline comes up to her, her eyes a little red and her hair wrapped in a tight bun.

"Hey, you ready to go?" Caroline asks gently, sniffling slightly, "We could stay a little longer if you want to, but I know it's been a rough day. The kids and Liam have already gone ahead."

"I don't...what are you talking about?" Elena croaks, her grey bob bouncing a little.

Caroline touches her arm gently, looking concerned, "Are you feeling okay, Elena?"

"Where...where are we?"

"Elena, it's Alaric's funeral-"

"Alaric died?" Elena gasps, clapping a hand over her mouth.

"We just attended the service, you saw his grave, you watched Jeremy give a speech and talked with Jo, Lizzie and Josie. He passed away two weeks ago from natural causes. Remember?"

"I...no, I don't."

"I'll be right back, someone's calling me," Caroline says, glancing at her phone and stands up, "Get me if someone calls you guys in."

She walks away, and Elena's left with Stefanie. After Alaric's funeral, they'd decided Elena needed to take a few tests to evaluate her health and Stefanie, being the closest in distance, came to see how the testing would go. Still, Elena knows that everyone, inside and outside this room, is anxious for the results.

"How you feeling, Stef?" Elena asks her daughter, patting her hand gently.

"About as good as can be expected. We barely know your family medical history, I'm not sure what to expect."

"Me neither," Elena admits honestly, "It's not like I ever bothered to ask Isobel any of this, it never felt important, much less worth thinking about...distract me from this, will you? Tell me something, I'd rather just take my mind off this as best I can."

"Okay," Stefanie hesitates, before continuing, "Jaime wants to try again for a baby. He thinks it's been long enough, but he doesn't want to push me into this and he thought coming here might help me think things through."

"Oh," Elena knows how tough it's been for Stefanie, trying to conceive a baby, after having miscarried twice, "so, how's the thinking going? Any decision made?"

"No...every time I list a good thing, my mind always gives me something bad to consider too. Jaime said we could try IVF if nothing happens in the first few months, but I don't think I could stand it if I lost another baby. I don't know how much strength I have left in me to go through another miscarriage."

"I will stand behind whatever decision you make, and I know Jaime will be too," Elena replies softly, "It's a tough decision, there's no denying that. But YOU are the most important person in this scenario, and you decide what's best for you. As your mother, I care about your well-being and happiness, and I hope that if and when you choose to try again, it's because you're fully ready."

"Thanks, Mom," Stefanie smiles, before it fades into something more sad and almost teary, "I should've noticed you weren't at your best. Something's wrong, we know that and I should've realized, saw the signs because otherwise-"

"Sweetheart, no. Save the panicking for the results. Let's just focus on getting through this together."

"You've been diagnosed with dementia, Elena," the doctor tells her gently. It's a broad term for a list of diseases, the doctors aren't sure which one yet, but they know it's hereditary, most likely from Isobel's genes; she was turned before any disease could get a hold of her, and Elena never knew anything about Isobel's family history.

Everyone immediately puts on a brave front for her, hell-bent on working together to take as much care of her as possible. Her kids all decide to try to move closer to her in case of emergencies, Caroline moves in with Elena to become her caregiver and Bonnie and Damon roll back into town after a decade of living in Paris, wanting to support Elena as well. Even Liam calls, offering to help with the hospital bills which Elena politely declines, but promises to keep him updated on the situation.

Whenever Bonnie and Damon come over, Elena likes to joke that it's like the old gang is almost back together, except now half of them are old and grey. No one finds it particularly hilarious like she does.

It's only at night, when Elena lets her guard down, letting her fatigue and worry take over. Everyone else is already so concerned around her, trying to stay strong and if she cracks, so will they. She doesn't want to feed their pain, so she keeps his discomfort quiet, for the sake of the people she loves.

One afternoon, Elena and Caroline are sitting on a bench at a park, the cool breeze carrying echoes of children's laughter and the sky is absurdly blue. It's a nice day, the warm weather lessens the old-age ache inside Elena, she's just breathing in the fresh air when Caroline turns towards her with a slightly pleading expression.

"I could turn you right now," she says, trying to sound convincing, "You won't have to die, the pain and fog will go away, you can stay with your family, get to watch your grandkids grow up-"

"And then what? I'll be stuck as a senior citizen forever, people already think you're my granddaughter," Elena laughs, but Caroline can't seem to manage a smile, "You know why I can't turn, Care. I can't outlive my own kids, much less live forever."

"I just," Caroline's face crumples a little, "I don't want to lose you. When my parents passed away, it took me years to get over it and now you're next. I keep thinking, how long will it take this time?"

"Hey," Elena says softly, grabbing Caroline's hand, "What makes you think I'm going to leave my best friend? Even when I go, I won't really be gone. I'll always be with you. You and I both know I won't be around forever, but we have right now. So, let's make this a happy memory, not a sad one. Centuries from now, when you look back on this afternoon, you'll always know what it means: I'm still with you."

Elena's health slowly starts to worsen as time goes on. She ends selling her practice to one of her younger, long-time work colleagues who promises to do right by the business, and she has no doubt that her practice will continue to thrive. Stefanie ends having two children, Travis and Melissa, who are equally adorable and their visits always cheer Elena up.

Her kids still visit almost every week or two, always calling or facetiming to check up on her. Caroline still takes care of her, Bonnie and Damon come over almost every day to keep her company even though it's not easy to see Elena's health deteriorate. It doesn't help either that lately she's been forgetting recent events, going back to decades-old memories.

Elena clutches at Bonnie's hands one evening, looking around confusedly, "Where's Stefan, Bonnie? I saw him this morning, he said we'd have dinner together tonight but he's not here yet. Have you heard from him?"

"I…" Bonnie glances helplessly at Damon, who only looks grim at the mention of Stefan, "He's probably running late, I bet it's that old car of his."

"Yes, that makes sense, Stefan will show up," Elena smiles, letting go of Bonnie's hands and settles herself onto the couch, "I'll just wait here."

In reality, they end up waiting for Elena's episode to pass.

"Do you want some lemonade, Elena?" Caroline asks, and Elena nods with a smile. She focuses her attention back on Travis and Melissa, who are playing a game with Damon, Bonnie and Jaime, laughing giddily under the summer sun. Everyone's gathered at Elena's place; Liam's inside with Stefanie, Grayson and his girlfriend, Johanna, preparing lunch while Summer's on her way. Caroline hands the cup to Elena just as someone kisses her on the cheek and she looks up to see Summer.

"Happy birthday, mom, welcome to the 70s," she says, smiling and takes a seat next to Elena outside on the patio. "Hey, Auntie Care."

"I was wondering when you'd show up. Where's Mila?" Elena asks happily, glad to have all her children finally here.

"Oh, she's just saying hi to everyone. I'm sure she'll come out in a minute or two to say hello."

"It's been awhile since I've seen you two. How's the wedding planning going so far? You and Mila aren't too stressed yet?"

"Well...it depends. Sometimes it's dumb, like why should I care about the colour of the napkins or what cutlery I should use? But there's some good parts to it. My planner's pretty decent too," Summer jokes, and Caroline flips her hair with a playful scoff.

"Try not to give me too much credit, Summer," she replies, and they all laugh a little. "I helped plan your mom's wedding, and it was amazing. Five stars from all my customers."

"And yet you never pulled off your own perfect wedding."

"Hey, my dating pool is limited. It's either I outlive most guys or they're obnoxious, blood-sucking vampires."

Elena laughs, "Caroline has high standards, but she was Miss Mystic Falls. She can work like magic."

"Oh please, you should know that your mother was the one who caught a guy's attention," Caroline says to Summer, but it carries none of the malice her teenage self would've used, "she had your dad hooked from the beginning, and she automatically caught Stefan's eye from the start."

"That's cause of Mom's evil twin though," Summer pipes up, but Caroline shakes her head.

"Nah, Katherine could cause all the trouble she wanted but she could never really touch the connection they had," Caroline reminisces, sharing a nostalgic glance with Elena, "At the time, who really could?"

Elena manages to celebrate one more birthday before becoming bedridden most of the time, daily tasks are no longer easy for her to perform. Her room is filled with medical equipment, healthcare staff move in and out of her house, all courtesy of Damon. She's never alone, someone is always with her and she's grateful for it; Matt comes down every week or so, Jeremy calls almost every evening, Josie and Lizzie check up on her whenever they can and even Tyler comes out to visit her, the two of them laugh and joke as they recount old college stories.

Elena starts to work on getting her affairs in order; only Damon can really stand to help her, Caroline leaves as soon as the topic starts and even Bonnie can only bear it for so long. Elena understands, she doesn't blame them and she's all the more grateful that Damon is able to suck it up and help her out.

One night, when Bonnie's reading a story to Elena since her eyesight has worsened and her brain no longer has the capacity to focus on a page, Elena asks Bonnie an odd question.

"Did it hurt?"

"Did what hurt?"

"When you were turned, when Damon snapped your neck. The Other Side...do you remember it?"

"I'm sorry, Elena, I don't remember it. I just remembering blacking out and waking up again, nothing in between. I wish I had an answer for you. Why do you ask?"

"Because...what if I'm alone?"

"You're not, so many people are watching over you, you know that everyone's always asking for updates-"

"No, no, what if I'm alone on the Other Side? What if...what if I can't find Peace, and I just stay on the Other Side all by myself? I'll be forced to watch everyone mourn and cry for me but I won't be able to do anything. W-What if I never get to see my parents or Aunt Jenna or Stefan?" Elena cries, tears sliding down her papery skin, "I don't want to go, I don't, I love you, I love my life and I want to stay, I don't want to leave my kids, what if I don't find my parents and I end up alone-"

"Hey, hey, there's no need to worry," Bonnie replies soothingly, putting down the book and grabs Elena's hands in an effort to calm her down, "The Other Side is for supernatural people who have unfinished business. You may be a doppelgänger, but what makes you think you won't find Peace?"

"Stefanie, Grayson and Summer...they'll be devastated when I go, how can I leave them, knowing they'll be in pain?"

"Do you really think that me, Damon and Caroline won't look out for them? That we won't help out our favourite nieces and nephew? You're their mom, I know it's gonna hurt like a bitch when you pass away but we're gonna be there to help them. We'll guide them through the process. There's no need to worry, Elena, there's no doubt in my mind that you'll find Peace."

Elena manages to keep going for two years, until Damon sits down and tells her he can smell it, her death's coming soon. She's not sure how it works, but judging by his expression and also Bonnie and Caroline's, it's the truth. She manages to push back the severe brain fog to say her goodbyes to the people she loves, choosing to fill her last days with the people she loves, stories of good memories, and her friends vow to watch over her family once she's gone.

One evening, when Elena's alone with Damon and he's feeding her dinner, he makes his own request.

"I don't know if you'll remember this, but when you eventually go to the Other Side...if you see Stefan, give him a message for me?" Damon asks hesitantly.

"Of course. What is it?"

"Let him know that I miss him, I'm happy, and I'm sorry for everything. I'm gonna see him again one day, and I'll make up for lost time."

"I will," Elena smiles, patting Damon's hand reassuringly, "Take care of Bonnie, thank you for bringing her love and happiness. All those years ago...I blamed you for Stefan's death, but I was wrong. I hope you know that I really have forgiven you for everything, and I've had a good life."

"Hey. Hey, listen, it's okay. It's going to be okay. I want you three to know that I love you so much. You've always been the most important people in my life, you gave me a family and happy memories. I was so lucky to be blessed with you guys, my wonderful children. But now it's time for me to go. I know it'll hurt. You'll want to lock yourself away and the pain will numb you, but you'll be happy again. Stefanie, don't keep your emotions inside, you don't have be strong all the time. It's okay to let down your guard, focus on yourself, you don't always have to responsible for everyone else. And Gray, don't shut anyone out. I don't want that for you, it won't do you any good. Take the support you need, it's okay to be vulnerable with others. Summer, it's okay to let yourself feel. It's not a bad thing, you need to process your grief otherwise you'll never really move forward. I know I'm gonna miss a lot, but this isn't the end. I'll see you guys again, one day. Please know that all I've ever wanted is for you guys to be happy and loved, and I'm so proud of the people you've become. Remember, I'll always love you."

The day before Stefan's birthday, Elena passes away in her sleep. All she remembers is her grandson, Travis, reading to her, darkness and then nothing. Until she wakes up again, but everything is different.

She's at the end of Wickery Bridge, birds chirping and the air is warm; she's young again, her hair is no longer grey and her joints don't ache or groan. But there's someone else here, at the other end of the bridge; Stefan watches her from his red Porsche, his green eyes sparkling and Elena beams, her eyes swimming with tears.

She runs towards him, he's approaching her too and she flings herself into Stefan's arms, laughing tearily. He swings her right off her feet, clutching her tightly and Elena knows it's been a lifetime without him, but strangely it doesn't feel that way.

"God, I've missed you so much," Elena breathes out, pulling back to examine Stefan's face. She sees no pain or guilt, only unbridled joy and it's entrancing, seeing how happy he is.

"So have I, but I knew you'd make it here eventually. So, tell me. How was your life?" Stefan asks.

"Better than I could've hoped for," Elena admits softly with a smile, but it fades as she tentatively cups Stefan's cheek, "Did it hurt when you died? I used to ask myself that all the time. I'd go crazy, wondering what you were thinking about when you died."

"I saw Elijah overtake Klaus, and all I knew is that you'd be safe, and so would everyone else," Stefan replies gently, leaning into Elena's touch, "that's what mattered to me. If I was going to die to give you a good life, then no, it didn't hurt, not really."

"There wasn't a day that went by where I didn't think of you," Elena blurts out, because it's just natural, everything just comes out so easily with Stefan. His lips curve into a smile, his eyes shining and he leans in slowly. Elena finds herself stepping closer instinctually, and their lips meet gently; it's a tentative kiss, since it's been so long but it already feels so right, it's as if a piece of Elena has finally been returned back to her.

They break apart, both of them smiling widely and Stefan glances around, "C'mon, everyone's waiting, they're anxious to see you."

They head back to Stefan's car, getting into their seats and Stefan starts the engine as Elena grins excitedly, their hands intertwined.

Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated! I know some of you were hoping Stefan would come back, but it was always my intention from the beginning that SE would reunite in the afterlife, once Elena lived a long and happy life. This was really interesting to write, stelena is my absolute favourite TVD ship and I loved getting to write a different reiteration of their story. If you have any questions about this story, you can PM me or ask me on my tumblr, bennettsslayer. I hope you enjoyed!