"Alaric, I don't need your help," Damon said, sounding irritated. Alaric had driven to the Salvatore house, and they were making their way inside. Alaric had put his arm around Damon's waist and was trying to support him.
"You almost fell down twice," Alaric pointed out.
Damon muttered a reply that Alaric couldn't really understand, but knowing that it was probably rude and sarcastic, Alaric chuckled slightly.
They made it inside, and Alaric brought him over to the couch, and set him down on it. "There," Alaric said with a sigh. "Was that so bad?"
"That was terrible," Damon said.
Alaric rolled his eyes. "You'll get over it."
"I'm sure I-"Damon stopped as he cried out in pain and closed his eyes tightly.
"What hurts?" Alaric asked quickly.
"Everything," Damon said through quick breaths. Alaric put a hand on Damon's shoulder as the vampire bent over in pain.
Alaric felt like his heart dropped to his feet. He and Damon most definitely did not get along in the beginning. In fact, there was nothing more than he wanted to do than stake the vampire and watch him turn to ashes, but now, he realized how much he's grown to like the vampire. He was having a hard time imagining going to the bar, and not seeing Damon there. And no longer making death threats to him.
The pain must have died down, because Damon was straightening up.
"Are you alright?" Alaric asked.
"Yeah," Damon said. "I'll be fine."
"You told Stefan didn't you?" Alaric asked. "You showed him the bite."
"Yeah, Stefan knows."
"And what did he say?"
Damon rolled his eyes. "He-like you- is trying to convince himself that there is some type of cure out there."
"Because he-like me- isn't going to give up hope. We're going to find something, Damon," Alaric promised.
"The more you get your hopes up, Ric, the more disappointed you'll get."
Alaric was about to say something else when his phone went off. He read the caller ID. It was Stefan, who was more than likely checking up on things. "Hey," Alaric said picking up.
"Where are you?" Stefan asked. He sounded almost irritated. "Elena's been looking for you. This party is for Jenna. You should be here."
"Even if I could, I wouldn't go," Alaric said. "She's the last thing I want on my mind."
"Well-" Stefan began but cut himself off. "Wait, what do you mean by 'even if I could?'"
Alaric looked over his shoulder. Damon was a vampire, meaning he was listening in on every word. "Hang on," Alaric said to Stefan. Giving Damon a look, he went outside. "Damon needed my help. He won't ever admit that, but he did."
He heard Stefan sigh from the other end. "How is he?"
"We're running out of time," Alaric admitted.
"I'll be right there."
"No!" Alaric yelled into the phone. "Elena needs people there for her. Especially you."
"Okay," Stefan agreed. "But as soon as it's over, I'll be right there."
Alaric nodded. "Take your time. Make sure Elena and Jeremy will be okay, first."
"I will," Stefan promised, then hung up.
Alaric sighed and headed back into the house. When he got there, he looked at the couch and saw that Damon had fallen asleep. Smiling slightly, he went over to a chair that was across from the couch, and watched Damon.

"Elena!"
Alaric jumped awake, realizing he had drifted off. He had been dreaming about Jenna. At first, he thought he was hearing things, when Elena's name was being called again. Glancing over at Damon, he realized it had come from him. The vampire was violently tossing and turning in his sleep. "I'm sorry!" he cried out. "I didn't mean to. Please believe me."
"Damon!" Alaric went over to where Damon was asleep, and tried to wake him. "Damon, it's okay!"
Damon woke up, and glanced at Alaric.
"Are you alright?" Alaric asked worriedly. Damon looked as if he were about to answer when he began to cough violently again.
Alaric sprinted over to the bathroom and grabbed a large towel. Bunching it up, he went back over to Damon and held the towel in front of his mouth for him to cough into. The white towel soon turned red as Damon coughed up blood.
Alaric waited until he was done before he moved the towel away from his mouth.
"I'm fine," Damon said before Alaric could say anything.
Alaric shook his head. "That's a lie. And you know that."
Damon laughed slightly. "You should want me dead. I'm the reason Jenna got killed."
Alaric shook his head again. "I don't blame you for Jenna."
"Ah, sure you do. Let's not forget I turned your wife into a vampire. You must really hate me for that."
"We'd have to get really drunk for this conversation," Alaric said, only half joking. He looked at Damon. "What were you dreaming about, anyway?"
"I don't remember," Damon said shrugging.
"You really need to work on your lying," Alaric said.
"I'm dying. Give me a break."
Alaric laughed. "Just answer me."
Damon shrugged. "You know how Rose went insane when she got bitten? And she tried to kill Elena?"
"Damon-"
Damon continued talking, cutting off Alaric. "I dreamt I went crazy and tried to bite Elena."
Alaric was silent for a moment not really sure of what to say. Finally he spoke up. "Damon, we don't know if you're going to be the same way. You might not go crazy like Rose did. Maybe you'll handle it better than her body did."
"She was older than me, Ric, probably even stronger. Though I hate to admit it."
"Damon, we're just trying to stay positive about this whole thing." Alaric said gently. "Someone needs to, or we won't get through this."
"We?" Damon shook his head. "No, Ric. There is no we in this, okay? I'm the one who is dying. I don't need you and Stefan to become a part of this. It's just going to make it even harder for everyone. You two don't need to suffer along with me. You've been through enough, Alaric. It hasn't been that long since Jenna died. You couldn't have gotten over it already."
"No. No I haven't. Maybe that's why I'm having a hard time excepting your death, Damon. I just lost Jenna, and now, I might be losing one of my closest friends."
Damon laughed. "One of your closest friends? Alaric, are you even aware of how much I put you through? Hell, how much I put everyone through. Maybe the reason I'm able to except my death, is because deep down, I know I deserve this. I know I deserve to die."
"This isn't about me, Damon," Alaric said before he could stop himself. "This is about Elena. You love her."
"Maybe I do, Ric! But that doesn't mean I don't regret what I've put you through too. What I put Stefan through, Jeremy, Bonnie, Caroline. What I put everyone through." Damon sighed and continued. "And the worst part is, is that I can never take it back. I'm stuck with what I've done with the rest of my life, which what I'm hoping, won't be much longer."
"You want to die?" Alaric asked in disbelief.
"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. But what I do know is that I sure as hell deserve to."
Alaric shook his head and looked at Damon. Part of him was hoping that Damon was just saying this to make his death easier, while another part of him knew that Damon was being serious. And he couldn't blame him either. If he had ruined so many lives, Alaric didn't think he'd be able to live with himself either.
"It's time Elena knew about this," Alaric blurted.
Damon looked at Alaric like that was the craziest thing he's ever heard. "Are you insane? No. She's been through enough. As I told Stefan, the last thing she needs right now, is another grave to mourn. Besides Jeremy, Jenna was the only family she had since her parents died."
"Damon, we don't know how much time you have left," Alaric said seriously. "She needs to know before you go. She's still really upset about you giving her your blood. I know Elena. She'd rather know about you dying than you dying unexpectedly while she was still holding a grudge against you."
Damon nodded. "You're right. I should talk to her."
Alaric nodded. "Good."
"But I'm not going to tell her about the bite."
Alaric shook his head. "Not good."
"I'm just going to ask her for forgiveness," Damon said quietly. Then sadly added, "I can't die peacefully knowing that she doesn't forgive me, and that the only reason she does, is because I'm going to die."
Alaric nodded, almost understanding. "Are you going to call her?"
"No. I'm going to go to her place."
Alaric nodded. "I'll get my car keys and-"
"No. I'm going by myself," Damon interrupted.
"What?" Alaric asked in disbelief. "Like hell you are."
"Alaric, I am an adult," Damon said slowly and irritated.
"A dying adult."
"Give me the dignity of being able to go a few miles by myself," Damon said.
"Even if said no, would you still go by yourself?"
"Yes."
Alaric sighed. "Be careful, okay?"
Damon gave Alaric his cocky smile. "Aren't I always?"
"No, or else you wouldn't have been bitten in the first place," Alaric muttered.
Of course with his vampire hearing, Damon still heard him. He put his hands up in the surrender gesture and said, "Hey, in my defense, I was saving Caroline's life!"
Alaric nodded absent mindedly, and thought about that. Did Caroline even know about the bite? He doubted it. Damon clearly wants a clear conscience before he goes, and maybe Caroline forgiving him for all the things he had done to her would be a good start. If Alaric told her that Damon literally gave his own life for her, maybe she would no longer think of him as the monster that everyone knows she thinks he is.
"Ric!" Damon yelled, making him snap out of his thought.
"What?" Alaric asked.
"You alright there?" Damon asked worriedly.
"Yeah, don't worry about me. Just go find Elena. I have to make a phone call."