1865 - JANUARY

Being a vampire was not what Damon had expected. Katherine had warned him about the blood lust and the heightened emotions but she never warned him about his loneliness. He had never felt such sorrow before now. He never thought of himself as a lonely man but over the last few months he has begun to realise how he had tricked himself.

Though he still had his brother, it was never part of the plan. He was supposed to be the only one that Katherine turned, so that they could be together forever. When he saw that Stefan was in transition, he had never truly felt pain until that moment.

She had lied to him.

She had promised that it would be only the two of them for all eternity. The freedom to take what they want, do what they want, be who they wanted. It was a drug for him. That temptation of a new life away from his father and the oppressive upbringing of Mystic Falls.

Despite her betrayal, there was a part of Damon that was grateful that the vampire had lied. If she hadn't, Stefan would have died on that field at the hands of their father.

And Aurora. Sweet, innocent Aurora. He missed her deeply but never allowed himself to get too close. He did want to taint her new life with his. He had been forced to watch as she laid flowers at her family's grave, never ending tears cascading down her face. It killed him to not immediately rush to her side and assure her that he and Stefan were alright. That her tears were not necessary. But he could not. She had a chance to have a normal life with a man that adored her. Though he was wary at first about Mr. Lambert, he had seen how attentive he was to his sister. Helping her with her chair, making sure she was never alone when she was out, even cutting her food for her. Brought out a new side to her. For instance, as a child Rora hated the colour yellow. She never thought it looked flattering on her and had even regarded it as a colour too 'popular' for her tastes. But just the other day, he saw Rora and her husband at the local seamstress, getting a yellow dress made for some event coming up.

He truly cared for her.

It was for that reason that Damon decided it was time for him to leave Mystic Falls for good. Leaving on the edge of the town was cruel and no longer necessary. It was time for him to part ways with Mystic Falls and his brother.

Damon walked down the stairs of the abandoned house he had Stefan had been residing in, bags in hand, and headed towards the front door. At the same time, a strange woman walked in and stopped him.

"Going somewhere?" she asked.

He looked over the stranger before concluding, "You must be the vampire I hear my brother complaining about."

"That would be me. And you must be the brother who hates him," the vampire replies,

Damon put his bag down on the ground as she stepped closer. "We are at irreparable odds."

"You know the hate you're feeling towards Stefan? Towards everyone? You think you have it under control but you don't. It will get the best of you."

She was wrong. What he felt was hatred. Sure he felt some displeasure at his brother but it wasn't hate that he was overcome with. It was sadness. The grief that came from knowing he would be forced to wait over a hundred years to be with his beloved. Grief that the life he had hated for so long was now unattainable for him. That he could never be part of Aurora's life again lest he drag her down with him.

The new vampire picked up his bag off the floor. "Help him," he pleaded, "He needs it."

"I'll help him. But i need you to help me first. He needs to see your sister-"

"No," he interrupted.

"This will help. It will reconnect him to his humanity," she insisted.

"I do not care. She will never find out about what we have become. She will remain pure and unscathed by our sins," he maintained.

"Please, you aren't thinking clearly. You need her and she needs you."

"What she needs is to be left alone. Stefan and I have already agreed that we would let her live peacefully. I intend to keep my promise and I trust he will do the same. Regardless of our feelings towards each other." Damon opened the door and looked to the vampire one last time. "Good day, miss."

Despite what he said to Miss. Branson, Damon could not help but take a short detour before departing. He just had to check on Aurora one last time. He had the perfect view of his sister from his spot behind the large tree at the back of the house. She was sitting on her vanity brushing out her long brown locks when her husband came into the room. He saw her straighten her back and place her hairbrush delicately on the table before turning to face him.

"I have news, my beloved," Aurora said gently.

"What is it?"

"I am with child," she announced.

"That's wonderful." Mr. Lambert rushed forward and lifted Aurora into his arms and spun her around. "Oh, thank you, my darling for this wonderful gift. I had begun to worry that we would never be able to have a child." He moved the hair that had fallen out of place and caressed her sullen cheeks ."Are you not delighted, my dear?" he asked.

"Ecstatic," she smiled through her tears.

Aurora was going to be a mother and what a fine mother she would make. Happy tears pooled in Damon's eyes as he watched the couple embrace over their growing family.

She was going to be just fine.