No, Stefan, please! No, no, no, no, no!

I faintly remember the night air and a pair of hands on my face, but I faded in and out of consciousness. Something told me I wasn't quite dead, unless you dream when you die.

Elena was in my dream, and I knew it was Elena because I'd killed Katherine. There was no way in hell that stake could've missed. I was aiming too well.

"Stefan," she told me as she grabbed my face. "Please wake up!"

"I am awake," I said. "How else could I feel you? There's no way my dreams hold any real comparison to you."

"Stefan," she cried, "Bonnie is casting a spell to help me invade your dreams. I don't know what happened, but please wake up! Try, just try…for me."

Her tears were too much to bear. I couldn't stand the fact that I was the one causing them, so I did my best to wake up. It took all of my willpower, like moving Mount Everest, but I was at least able to flutter my eyes open.

"Stefan!" Elena hugged me from the ground. "Don't move, I think your neck is broken. The ambulance is on its way."

By this time my eyes were completely open. I could see the stars' backdrop to Bonnie and Elena, "You moved me from the basement? How?"

"Levitation," Bonnie said casually. "We have to get you to the hospital."

"No need," a voice said from somewhere. I tried to move my neck to look, but caught myself when Elena reminded me that it could be broken.

The voice came closer and eventually hovered over me, "How are you feeling, Little Brother?"

"Get away from them, Damon," I said with as much venom as I could muster. It wasn't much given the circumstance.

"Calm yourself down," he said. "I have no intent on hurting either of them. Hell, I didn't even mean to hurt you until you cut your hand. I am sorry about that, though. I'm also sorry about Katherine. I was outside listening. I wanted to come help you, but I wasn't invited in. At least you're better now. There's no actual need for an ambulance."

"Are you crazy?" Elena said into Damon's face. "Katherine almost killed him! He needs help!"

"Correction, Elena," Damon smiled with seemingly no emotion, "Katherine did kill him. The only thing he needs now is this."

Damon tossed me a blood bag.

"Shit!" I heard Bonnie mutter under hear breath, which Elena didn't catch.

"Drink it," Damon commanded. "You'll be back to normal in no time. Only, "normal" will be a little different."

"He'll be a vampire?" Elena asked in horror.

"He'll still be the same old Stefan," Damon told her. "He'll just be a bit more durable. I'll put him on bunny blood, so he won't feed on people and still be your one true love and yadda, yadda, yadda. Katherine made that error with me. I like the real stuff now. Regardless, Elena, he has to drink the human blood this time, or he will die."

Elena jumped into action without question. She ripped the seal off of the bag and held it to my mouth, "Drink it, Stefan. Please! I love you so much. Stay with me!"

She loved me…and wanted me with her. I knew it was genuine.

Without a second thought, I lifted the bag to my mouth and drank to my heart's desire. I sat up, surprised I couldn't feel my blood rush in my body. Even more surprising, I could hear Elena's heartbeat. Her beauty was even more visible, and I could smell her sweet and tangy perfume that had undoubtedly all but worn off from tonight's exertion. It made me want to tackle her.

Damon could see it in my eyes, "Careful, Stef. You can kiss her, but don't break her."

"I love you, Elena," I said to her with as much strength as I could muster. I took her hands into my own, and I gently placed my lips on hers. She kissed me back.

I no longer cared what troubles I had to face with this new life I couldn't yet comprehend. Elena loved me, and I loved her. That's all that mattered. Everything was right in this world, even if it wasn't. This was where I belonged - with her. She accepted me, and it meant the world.

She kissed me back!

Everything was going to be alright. So in the end, the crime we were working together with was, in fact, strong enough to bind a love so ill-placed.

…And she kissed me back in the end!

The End…

If you liked this story, check out the sequel, Binding Crime - Supernatural, for more sarcastic Damon comedy, Stelena love, possible Delena smut, Caroline, and the dangerous twists and turns that seem to follow the Salvatores wherever they go. The setting this time: New York City!