Meredith let out a breath. It was over, finally.
People started to head for the double doors and out into the parking lot. Aunt Judith had walked back in a little while before, along with a flushed faced Margaret. Meredith could see them talking to the McCullough's.
She was headed for the aisle when she heard Stefan.
"Damon, wait!"
She paused to watch as Damon stopped walking and turned to Stefan. He raised his eyebrows and waited but he was interrupted as a startled Aunt Judith turned from her conversation.
"You two know each other?" she asked.
Damon glanced towards her. "He's my brother."
Meredith did a double take, and shocked, she realized what Damon had openly admitted.
"But I thought your name was Smith," Judith added, looking flustered as usual.
"I lied."
Stefan was looking at his brother with an expression that revealed his shock.
Damon brushed his way past a still flustered Aunt Judith and was out the door before anybody had moved.
Stefan rushed to meet up with him. Once outside, he spoke. "Where are you going?"
"Somewhere. Anywhere. Out of this town."
"For good?"
"I suppose it'd make you happy, wouldn't it? The perfect ending to a perfect fairytale."
"That's not how I meant it," Stefan snapped defensively.
Before he spoke, there was a shimmer in the air as Elena appeared.
"What's going on? You're not leaving are you?" she asked.
"As a matter of a fact, I am," he told her as he turned to face her.
"Why?"
"Because I grow tired of all of this. There's plenty of things I could be doing right now, things that appeal to me more than this," he replied, gesturing to the church.
"Why now? We need each other now, of all times," Elena asked, her voice pleading.
"Because. What good would it be for me to stick around? Me staying won't bring her back, Elena. We all know that. I prefer to spend my time productively."
"Stop acting like you don't care! Like you don't give a damn! Drop the façade, Salvatore, before I make you drop it! Bonnie was your friend, too, so don't act as though it doesn't hurt knowing she's gone!" Elena hissed.
Damon stepped closer, using his aura to intimidate her. "You're right, Elena. She was my friend. But I've been surrounded by death for centuries, and I've learned that the quicker you move on, the less the pain. I'm moving on. I suggest you do the same."
"Where? Where are you going?" She whispered, defeated.
"It doesn't matter. Somewhere far from this damn town," he responded, glancing around in disgust.
"What if we need you?" Elena asked.
"You don't need me anymore. This departure is long overdue, Elena, and we all know it. I've made my peace with the past, and I look to the future. It's time to say goodbye."
Damon leaned down and kissed her forehead gently and she gave him a disheartened smile. He turned to his brother and nodded, never the one to display his feelings for his sibling.
But slowly, Stefan reached out a hand and surprisingly, Damon shook it. And then, as Elena watched, Stefan pulled his brother into a hug and it seemed for a moment, the two had put past issues aside. But suddenly, the moment was gone and Elena blinked, slightly startled, and Damon and Stefan were apart.
It was enough, though, that for that instant they'd been able to put the past behind them and see eachother as brothers, not enemies.
"Arrividerci."
There was a flutter of wings as a single crow flew up towards the sky and disappeared from sight.
People started to head for the double doors and out into the parking lot. Aunt Judith had walked back in a little while before, along with a flushed faced Margaret. Meredith could see them talking to the McCullough's.
She was headed for the aisle when she heard Stefan.
"Damon, wait!"
She paused to watch as Damon stopped walking and turned to Stefan. He raised his eyebrows and waited but he was interrupted as a startled Aunt Judith turned from her conversation.
"You two know each other?" she asked.
Damon glanced towards her. "He's my brother."
Meredith did a double take, and shocked, she realized what Damon had openly admitted.
"But I thought your name was Smith," Judith added, looking flustered as usual.
"I lied."
Stefan was looking at his brother with an expression that revealed his shock.
Damon brushed his way past a still flustered Aunt Judith and was out the door before anybody had moved.
Stefan rushed to meet up with him. Once outside, he spoke. "Where are you going?"
"Somewhere. Anywhere. Out of this town."
"For good?"
"I suppose it'd make you happy, wouldn't it? The perfect ending to a perfect fairytale."
"That's not how I meant it," Stefan snapped defensively.
Before he spoke, there was a shimmer in the air as Elena appeared.
"What's going on? You're not leaving are you?" she asked.
"As a matter of a fact, I am," he told her as he turned to face her.
"Why?"
"Because I grow tired of all of this. There's plenty of things I could be doing right now, things that appeal to me more than this," he replied, gesturing to the church.
"Why now? We need each other now, of all times," Elena asked, her voice pleading.
"Because. What good would it be for me to stick around? Me staying won't bring her back, Elena. We all know that. I prefer to spend my time productively."
"Stop acting like you don't care! Like you don't give a damn! Drop the façade, Salvatore, before I make you drop it! Bonnie was your friend, too, so don't act as though it doesn't hurt knowing she's gone!" Elena hissed.
Damon stepped closer, using his aura to intimidate her. "You're right, Elena. She was my friend. But I've been surrounded by death for centuries, and I've learned that the quicker you move on, the less the pain. I'm moving on. I suggest you do the same."
"Where? Where are you going?" She whispered, defeated.
"It doesn't matter. Somewhere far from this damn town," he responded, glancing around in disgust.
"What if we need you?" Elena asked.
"You don't need me anymore. This departure is long overdue, Elena, and we all know it. I've made my peace with the past, and I look to the future. It's time to say goodbye."
Damon leaned down and kissed her forehead gently and she gave him a disheartened smile. He turned to his brother and nodded, never the one to display his feelings for his sibling.
But slowly, Stefan reached out a hand and surprisingly, Damon shook it. And then, as Elena watched, Stefan pulled his brother into a hug and it seemed for a moment, the two had put past issues aside. But suddenly, the moment was gone and Elena blinked, slightly startled, and Damon and Stefan were apart.
It was enough, though, that for that instant they'd been able to put the past behind them and see eachother as brothers, not enemies.
"Arrividerci."
There was a flutter of wings as a single crow flew up towards the sky and disappeared from sight.