Set during the season finale, after Stefan tells Elena that Damon's dying. Stefan doesn't think there's a cure though so he doesn't go looking for one. It may be a bit confusing until you get to the end of this chapter and as always, it's Delena!

He's dying.

Elena couldn't think about anything apart from that concept. Damon, her Damon, was dying. She didn't even flinch about how she just thought about him as hers, because right now, knowing that he was dying, it was painstakingly obvious that they belonged together, to each other.

Somewhere along the way, they both became dedicated to each other, willing to die to save one another. She had lost her parents, both biological and not, she had to stand and watch her Aunt die a few feet away from her, without being able to do anything, as Jenna lye unmoving on the cold ground only a few days previously. She was not going to lose someone else that she loved.

Stefan had told her, and somehow she managed to not show how heartbroken she was, instead she told him she wanted to say goodbye to Damon, alone.

Her foot eased off the accelerator only slightly as she turned her car violently into Bonnie's driveway, rushing out of the car, not bothering to take the keys from the ignition she ran to the door, using her full force to slam her fist against the hard wood.

"I'm coming" Bonnie called out sounding agitated, the angry expression left her as she opened the door, shocked at the unruly sight of her friend.

"Elena, what happened?" she asked, pulling her inside and shutting the door behind them.

Elena only now realised she was crying, as Bonnie's outline became blurred. Her hair was tangled from the amount of times she had run her hand anxiously through it on the way over.

"Damon" she managed to say, only then realising she had no time for tears, she needed to be strong.

"What did he do?" Bonnie asked, a hardness overtaking her tone.

"Tyler bit him" she said, she had no time to explain, "I need your help Bonnie"

Bonnie looked shocked for a second then looked at Elena with sympathy "I can't save him Elena, I'm sorry. There's no cure for a werewolf bite" she said softly, even though personally she didn't like Damon if she could have helped she would have, for Elena.

"I know but I… I think I know a way, but you're not going to like it"

…

Elena was right, Bonnie didn't like her idea, but in the end she went along with it, after a lot of begging and tears on Elena's part. At one point Elena had confessed that she couldn't live without him, and as melodramatic as she felt saying it she knew it was true, because she believed that unlike all the other people she had lost, she may actually be able to save him.

So Bonnie agreed, unable to deny Elena of anything after everything she had lost. Blood was dripping from her nose by the time she had finished the spell, and she barely said to Elena that it was complete, before she was rushing out the door.

…

Elena walked slowly through the Boarding House, her breathing laboured after running up the driveway; she descended the stairs towards the basement and braced herself as she looked into the cell.

He was slumped against the wall; she had never seen his face as pale as it was now. The usual spark in his eyes had faded into a look of exhaustion as he stared blankly at the wall. He hadn't even noticed she was there, a sure sign his abilities were deteriorating at an alarming rate.

She felt her chest tighten at the loneliness of the scene before her, unable to just stand by any longer she unbolted the door, well aware of the danger she was putting herself in, but she was past caring.

His head tilted to the side, looking up at her she saw the spark come back into his eyes but it soon disappeared, "You have to go Elena, it's not safe here" his voice was weak, but his eyes held an intensity that was much more stubborn.

She dropped to her knees beside him, pushing his hair away from his face, a look of devastation in her eyes, "You weren't going to tell me, were you?"

"I'm not very good at good-byes" he admitted.

"Why would you do that? Do you not even care?" she demanded, suddenly frustrated by his futile dismissal.

The fire burning so brightly in her eyes made his already disoriented mind even more mixed up. He was no longer lying on the ground of a basement but instead he was in Katherine's bed. He had been trying to persuade her to stop seeing his brother, and to run away with him to get married.

"How could you say that? I love you both, I will not be forced to choose" she answered, her eyes burning so brightly he felt like his skin would burn with a single glance. Those brown eyes that had seemed playful only seconds before were now filled with a seething rage.

"I could give you so much more," he murmured, "So much more than Stefan" he grabbed Elena's hand suddenly, seeing Katherine's face, "We could be together, forever Katherine"

"Damon it's me, it's Elena" her voice was urgent as she tried to pry her hand from his steel-grip, even weakened by the bite his hold on her hand was to tight.

"Forever is a long time, don't make promises you can't keep" she whispered, on top of him suddenly, pinning him to the bed as she left a trail of kisses down his neck.

Damon pulled Elena closer, his lips lowering to capture her, she fought back, as hard as she could but it was useless. His eyes closed remembering how much he wished Katherine wouldn't do this every time he talked about the future, how much he wished he wouldn't have been so easily distracted.

Then he heard her, Elena's soft pleading whimpers and everything came flooding back. He wasn't in 1864, he was with Elena, holding her so tightly she couldn't move, his lips pressed firmly against hers. He released her immediately and she moved back, trying to catch her breath.

"You should go" he said, turning away from her, no trace of warmth left in his voice, he needed her to go, in case the next memory wasn't as pleasant.

"Damon, I have to tell you somethi-"

"Leave, now" he growled, regretting it the second he said it, he had so much he wanted to say to her, but it wasn't fair, he would be being selfish if he told her the truth.

He heard her small gasp and shortly afterwards he heard her get to her feet slowly, stopping at the door to say something, but then thinking better of it she left.

Not bothering with the lock, he was already trapped inside his own body, unable to control his actions, she wasn't about to trap him any further.

…

"How is he?" Elena asked she hadn't been able to tell Stefan about what she asked Bonnie to do earlier; she was too ashamed of what he would say.

"He's getting worse" Stefan said quietly into the receiver of his phone, he had moved Damon from the basement to his room, he was drifting in and out of unconsciousness, but Stefan didn't miss the fact it was Elena's name he was calling out. Stefan sighed heavily, "He wants to see you"

"I'll be there in five" she promised, it wouldn't be long now, and then everything would change.

…

Elena sat on the edge on his bed; her hand trembled softly as she wiped the sweat from his pale face. He opened his eyes to look at her and even that seemed to take a lot of effort on his part.

"I'm so sorry" he whispered.

"Don't be, I know you just didn't want to hurt me"

"Not just for that, for everything. All the things I've done to you, you didn't deserve to be treated that way"

She took hold of his hand, tears threatening to spill at her eyes, "I forgive you"

He opened his arms, and she willing curled up beside him. She knew she had made the right decision, one that she would never doubt; she just hoped he didn't hate her for it.

"Why do you always forgive me?"

She considered this for a second, then said slowly "You do things, things that make me wonder why I bother sometimes but then I realise it's not your fault. Everyone blames you for everything that goes wrong, but they don't know you, not the way I do. You have good intentions Damon, and I just wish I could get you to believe me when I tell you you're not a monster. You can have your humanity back whenever you want it, being a vampire doesn't define who you are, not if you don't let it"

His lips pressed lightly to her temple, and he wished he had time to prove her right, but he could already feel himself drifting, "I want you to be happy Elena, just know that no matter what you'll always be loved. No matter what, I'll always love you" she was no longer able to stop the tears that left her eyes, as she felt his eyelashes brush closed softly against her cheek, the rise and fall of his chest slowing until it was completely still.

In the moment that he lost consciousness, she died.

…

Damon felt his body drift, falling into the unknown, until a golden light emerged around him. The light passed through his skin, awakening his senses, senses he thought were long gone. A feeling of serenity overwhelming him, as his eyes slowly opened.

He looked around him wildly, his heartbeat racing. He froze, his heartbeat was racing. The room was dark, and he was barely able to see, and even when he tried to strain his hearing he could only hear the sharp intake of his own breath. This couldn't be happening. He was…human.

That's when he saw her, lying next to him. Her hair sprawled around her, and she wasn't breathing. "Elena" he called, gripping her by the shoulders, "Wake up, Elena" he begged though he knew it was useless, she didn't have a pulse.

He pulled her onto his lap, wondering how this could have happened; he rocked back and forth, his tears falling from his face on their own accord.

"Elena, please" he whispered, stroking her cheek, kissing her eyelids the same eyelids that refused to open.

He heard a soft rapping on the door, and then Stefan entered, stopping short as he saw Damon holding Elena's limp body in his arms.

"What have you done?" he ran towards her, snatching her body from his arms, "Elena? Elena!" when she didn't reply, he bit deeply into his wrists, the placed the flow of blood over her lips.

"It's useless" Damon said weakly, "She's dead"

"No" Stefan said, then more loudly, "No" the blood fell onto her lips but they never opened.

Damon only minutes ago has wished he could live, but now, it was different, now that he had lost his will to live.

Stefan looked up at him then, his eyebrows drawing together, his head tilting to one side. "Is… that your heart beating?" he felt ridiculous even saying the words, it was impossible.

Damon nodded slowly, "I don't know how…"

"I do"

They both looked up, away from Elena's peaceful expression to see Bonnie standing in the doorway.

"She's going to be fine" she said, coming closer.

"She is?" Damon asked bewildered, not wanting to be too hopeful just yet.

"She came to me today, she wanted me to put a spell on her, to bind her soul to your body, sort of like what John did for her, so when you were dying her soul would leave her body and go to yours"

They were both speechless as they looked from Bonnie to Elena, "She still has your blood in her system; she's planning on coming back, as a vampire"

"You let her go through with it?" Damon demanded.

"It was her choice, if I didn't she would have never forgiven me"

"And what if she doesn't have enough of Damon's blood left in her system?" Stefan asked, unable to control the anger in his voice.

"It was only a few days ago, I was sure to check before I did the spell"

"Wait, let me get this straight, I'm human and Elena's going to be a vampire and… she gave me her soul?"

Stefan tensed at that, she hadn't been willing to become a vampire to be with him but she did it to save his brother?

Bonnie nodded tersely, like Stefan not really warming up to the idea, "Looks like you owe her, big time"