CHAPTER 7

Damon remained silent for a while and then said with a grin on his face,'Oh! Come on brother, we don't have time to waste. Umm let's race just like old times, from here till the tree you can see at the far end okay. Come on! He moved ahead of Stefan and was about to take his stance when Stefan who was a little agitated said, 'Don't change the topic Damon. You need to promise me first.'

Damon raised his hands in the air and quipped, 'Okay melodrama queen. Whatever! Alright let's race and if you win then your wish would be granted. So, ready, steady and go!

Damon raced towards the end point and Stefan followed close behind,'Hey wait for me!' Stefan called from behind. Both the brother raced till the end. They always used to do this whenever one brother wanted something from the other, they always decided through a race. The winner used to get what he wanted as a prize.

When both of them were near the end pint Stefan gained speed and inched ahead of his brother thus winning the race.

Both fell on the green grass as soon they finished the race. Both were lying next to each other facing the sky. The next few minutes none of the brothers said anything. Both remained silent, they were just glad that they were together in this very moment. They were enjoying each other's presence and wanted to savour ever second which they were spending together. Both of them didn't want this moment to end ever. They were just happy lying next to each other.

After few minutes Stefan was the one to finally break the silence, 'I won! So, now is your turn to make that promise that you will always be happy. You will live your happily ever after with Elena. Please big brother, promise me.'

Damon after a few minutes of silence said, 'I PROMISE LITTLE BROTHER! If that's what you want'

Stefan brought himself in a sitting position and so did Damon. Both of them were facing the warm sun. The sunlight falling on Stefan's face and light reflecting from his eyes made his look greener than ever.

Stefan said,' I am no more in pain Damon. I am not scared anymore.' he looked at his big brother with a smile on his face. 'You can do your job now and say your good bye', he added still a smile was there on his face.

Damon looked at his little brother with a perplexed look

Stefan continued, 'I know brother what you have been doing; you are doing the exact thing you did with Rose.' Stefan gave his big brother a slight nudge and quipped, 'I am the smarter Salvatore you see.' he winked at Damon.

Stefan continued but this time in a more serious tome 'Thank you brother for letting me experience a forever within the numbered hours I had left to live.'

' I promise brother, I am no more in pain. I am not scared anymore. And after a moment's pause he said, 'One more thing which I have never said out loud – I LOVE YOU BIG BROTHER.'

Damon kept looking at his little brother and then he simply nodded. He caressed Stefan's forehead and ruffled his hair and said with a faint smile on his face. 'I LOVE YOU TOO LITTLE BROTHER.' A tear rolled down his cheek when he spoke the final words.

There was a bright white light and Damon was brought back from the dream into the reality. Damon opened his eyes which were still teary and looked at his little brother who was still lying on his lap with his eyes still closed.

Damon caressed his little brother's forehead and placed a gentle goodbye kiss on his forehead. He took out the dagger from behind the pillow and placed it right above Stefan's heart. Tears were now flowing freely from his eyes. 'I am sorry I failed you little brother. I am so sorry. But I promise I will see you on the other side. We will meet again I promise. Good bye, my dearest little brother.'

And with this he raised the knife ready to plunge in Stefan's heart.

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9 years had passed since that dreadful night.

Present day - Damon enters a white picket fenced house. As soon as he opens the door he is greeted by Fluffy. He walks inside and reaches the dining area where 2 kids are playing with their toys on the floor. A 7 year old boy and a 4 year old girl. He greets the kids and a wide bright smile appears on the kids' face as soon they see Damon. Damon picks up the girl and places a gentle kiss on her cheek and the girl reacted by placing a kiss on Damon's cheek. He then enquired the boy about his school. The boy merrily told Damon that he had passed the science exam with A+ grade. After playing with the kids for a while He finally left the kids who resumed their play and walked towards.

There she was, Elena. She was cooking something when she turned towards Damon who was standing at the door and said with a smile, 'Hey I have prepared a cake, would you mind tasting it and let me how's it?'

Damon kept looking at her with a smile on his face and then after a long pause replied with a grin, 'Why don't you ask your husband who he is standing right beside you Lena.

'Please Damon spare me the horror,' a figure emerged from Elena's side and chuckled. 'We all know Elena cooking anything perfectly is a mere fantasy and nothing else.'

Hearing this Elena widened her eyes and hit the guy with the spatula in her hand, 'My God dear husband, we all know you are an excellent cook but this doesn't mean you will underestimate my cooking skills,'

Then he took some cream from the cake's side with a finger and then put some of it on Elena's nose before tasting it. He wrapped his arms around Elena's wais and brought her closer to him, 'Hmmm, I must say the cake is delicious. After all you have learnt it from the master himself', he said with a naughty smile on his face.

Elena smiled and said, 'Don't you think you are giving yourself too much credit husband.'

They both chuckled and leaned closer to each other for a passionate kiss.

'Oh please! Love birds, I am standing right here.' Damon quipped.

Both of them pulled away from the embrace and looked at Damon with a little embarrassment on their faces.

'Damon would you for once leave the two alone. Give them a break', a voice came from Damon's behind who was still standing at the kitchen door.

Bonnie came from Damon's behind, kissed Damon the cheek and stood next to him, 'Damon it's their anniversary and they deserve some time alone.'

Bonnie approached Elena and hugged her and then went on to hug the guy,'Hey! Congratulations you two. Both me and Damon are extremely happy for you.'

'Thanks Bonnie and let me tell you something Damon is one lucky guy for having an amazing woman like you in his life.' He then looked at Damon and continued, 'you should be glad for having her in your life Damon. Now what are you doing standing their alone Damon.

Damon approached the group and the guy hugged Damon tightly, 'I am so happy brother.'

Damon replied with a big smile on his face, 'so am I little brother so am I.'

'Okay enough of brotherly love you two, come on STEFAN we have to go in the garden area where everyone is waiting for you and Elena for cake cutting.' Bonnie said.

Both the brothers pulled away from the embrace and Damon, 'Yup you are right Bonbon, we all should make a move.'

'Come soon you two.' Bonnie said and then Bonnie and Damon walked off towards the garden area.

Stefan looked at Elena and once again wrapped his arms around her waist and Elena wrapped her arms around Stefan's neck and the two stood there like that for a while gazing at each other, lost in each other's eyes.

Stefan said, 'Happy anniversary, thank you for being a part of my life, thank you for the amazing blissful 8 years. I love you Elena' to which Elena replied, 'I should thank you for making me a part of this beautiful life Stefan. I love you too husband.'

The two kissed each other passionately.

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The two finally reached the garden area where all of their friends and family were waiting for them. Elena was looking beautiful in a pink and white floral one piece while Stefan was looking dapper as always in a formal dark blue shirt. The area was beautifully lit with fairy lights and beautifully decorated with white flowers. In the centre was a beautiful three tier white cake which Elena had made herself. Everyone was present , Alaric and Joe with their two kids, Matt and Amy both have gotten engaged a year ago and were soon planning to get married by the end of this year, Jeremy had also come with his girlfriend Cara, Caroline was also there. She was not alone, she was with Tyler the two had reconciled and were planning to get married the same day as Matt-Amy. And last but not the least there they were, their two beautiful kids Isabella and Samuel along with Damon and Bonnie. Damon and Bonnie realised their true feelings for each other and got married last year.

Stefan was extremely happy; this was more than he could ever have asked for. He was with the love of his life living his perfect happily ever after. His brother was so happy and had found his soul mate in Bonnie. All his friends were happy. He couldn't have asked anything more from life. Stefan could never thank God enough for keeping him alive to be able to witness this day.

He still remembered that fateful night when he was dying and his brother was ready to take away his life to free him from all his miseries and pain.

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FLASHBACK

Damon placed the dagger right above Stefan's heart, tears were rolling down his cheek, and his hands were shivering. He was trying to clam himself down, to convince his heart that he had to let Stefan go peacefully, he had to do it for Stefan, his baby brother has suffered enough and he didn't deserve to suffer any longer. He took a deep breath and once again gripped the dagger tightly ready to plunge it in his baby brother's heart but he couldn't do it. He just couldn't let his baby brother go, he couldn't kill his own little brother.

Just then Elena and Bonnie reached there and for a moment were shocked to see Damon holding the dagger. When Damon saw the two he said in a desperate tone, 'I can't do it, I just can't let him go Bonnie, I know you said that I should free him from his pain but I am selfish Bonnie I just need my baby brother. I can't kill him.'

Elena kept looking at Stefan with tears in his eyes not even aware what was going on around her. She didn't even hear what Damon was saying but Bonnie was the one to reply, 'you don't need to do any such thing Damon. We did it, we found the cure.' Bonnie had a bright smile on her face, 'Yes, Damon, Stefan will be absolutely Okay!

Damon couldn't even comprehend what Bonnie just said, he couldn't believe his ears. Did she say Stefan; his baby brother will be okay?' All sorts of emotions rushed through him. Nothing mattered anymore. The only thing that mattered was that his brother will be okay. He composed himself and asked Bonnie, 'Did I hear you right Bonbon, did you say that you two have found the cure?'

Both the girls who were standing at the door approached the brothers and Bonnie nodded with a smile on her face, 'Yes, you heard me right Damon. Stefan will be Okay.'

Elena placed her hand on Stefan's, a tear rolled down her cheek and said with a faint smile, 'You will be fine Stefan, just come back to me and I promise I will never let you go again.'

Bonnie took out a small bottle of antidote from her purse and handed over to Damon. Damon took the bottle from Bonnie and placed Stefan in a sitting position; he then brought the bottle close to Stefan's lips and said, 'There you go little brother'. He made Stefan drank the whole content of the bottle and then laid him on the bed again.

After lying Stefan on the bed and covering him with a blanket, finally Damon turned to look at Bonnie and Elena who were looking at Stefan with a concerned look on their faces. 'Would you mind revealing the mystery as to how you two managed to find the cure?' Damon spoke in his usual snarky tone. Both of them looked at each other and finally Elena was the one to break the silence, 'Klaus helped us Damon. When we called him and explained him the whole situation, he agreed to help us. He informed us that he knew a very old witch who had mastered the art of black magic. We contacted that witch who told us as that although she was very old and not powerful enough to use her voodoo to prepare the antidote but she taught Bonnie how to prepare the antidote using black magic instead.'

After a brief pause Elena finally said,'So Bonnie for your sake and for Stefan used black magic to prepare the antidote,'

Damon stared at Bonnie and Elena and then approached Bonnie and took her hand in his and they stood like this for while and then he just said, 'Thank you Bonbon.'

After Stefan recovered fully, Damon traced Patrick and killed him for torturing his baby brother.

Elena finally professed her love for Stefan and Stefan like he had said took her back in a heartbeat. Then Damon somehow found another cure which was still present in 1903 and gave it to Elena. It was Elena's choice to take it and become human. After Elena turned human, she and Stefan got married.

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PRESENT

Stefan was remembering all these events when he was brought back to the present by his big brother's voice, 'Come brother time to cut the cake!'

Stefan and Elena came to the centre near the cake and everyone gathered around them. All were happy and there were bright smiles all around.

Stefan and Elena cut the cake together and Damon opened the champagne bottle.

Everyone clapped for the couple. All around happy voices could be heard and happy faces could be scene.

Stefan reached his brother who was standing a little away from the group and hugged him tightly and said, 'Thanks big brother! If you hadn't given Elena the cure, I wouldn't be living this life today.'

Damon said with a smile, 'This is what big brothers are for right! I had promised you an eternity of misery, it was only befitting that I could help give you your dream life, a life full of happiness and hope.'

Looking at the happy group of his family and loved ones in front of him Stefan replied, 'Thank you brother for my little infinity, my happily ever after.'

Damon wrapped an around Stefan's shoulder and said 'OUR little infinity, OUR happily ever after little brother'.

Both Damon and Stefan joined the group and lived their happily ever after.

THE END

I hope you all enjoyed the ride. Thank you all for reading and appreciating my story. Reviews are always appreciated. I am really eager to know if you guys enjoyed the story and especially the end.

P.S. – One of you asked where was Elena? She was desperately searching for a cure