Impossible

Disclaimer: The characters and other things from The Vampire Diaries don't belong to me. Credit goes to the rightful owners.

Chapter 7: Silence

Damon was no stranger to pain and his default was always to switch it off. But as he walked away from Elena he realized he lost the will to do it. He couldn't do anything but walk through the storm and find a way to get to the other side without her.

He closed his eyes and just ran. Damon stripped away everything but his instincts to exist even for awhile just as the vampire that he is. It was the closest he could get to numbing himself so that he wouldn't run right back to Elena. It was a test of self-control that he couldn't afford to fail. He needed to see it through because it wasn't just his life on the line.

Damon stopped when he was at the door of the old house, the site of the witches' death. He could feel their growing unease at his presence and their desire for him to leave. But it had the opposite effect on Damon and he snapped.

Blinded by misdirected rage, Damon kicked the door in with a roar. He picked up the fallen door and threw it to the wall in defiance, incensing the witches. He stormed towards the room where Bonnie did her ritual, over the ground where the witches actually perished years before. He went to stand in the middle and raised his arms to the side, unwanted tears streaming down his eyes, "Are you happy now? Isn't this what you wanted? Well, I'm right here bitches. I'm suffering, the kind where I want to claw my own heart because it hurts. It hurts. It hurts…"

Damon fell to his knees and hung his head as he wallowed in his agony. "Why did she come into my life and make me love her if it was never going to last? Why didn't you just leave things alone Anna? Why did you have to make things impossible for everyone else just because you never worked out your own happy ending? Elena had nothing to do with your mistakes, Anna. It's not her fault you didn't know how to love."

The sound of shattering glass barely registered in his ears but he felt every shard that pierced through his skin as Anna's wrath rained on him. Damon let out a maniacal laugh that was both harsh and heartbreaking as it turned into sobs.

"I can't even feel that anymore, Anna," Damon said fiercely, "I'm too far gone to feel."

"Then why are you here?" Anna said coldly, her disembodied voice echoing inside the room.

"Because there's a huge, gaping hole in your sacrifice story," Damon said standing up, "I sacrifice myself to seal the curse forever but there's no mention of how to make sure Klaus doesn't kill Elena after I die. What I do won't incapacitate him because I'm just him as the vampire he already is, someone more than capable of killing Elena and everyone else in sight. And then it will all just be in vain. Did you really think I wouldn't figure that out? Tell me, Anna, why do you want Elena dead?"

Anna appeared, materializing but no more substantial than smoke. Damon should have expected it but he still blinked in surprise as he took in how she looked exactly like Elena.

"I don't." Anna said quietly, "But I knew you would think that way and come find me. There's something I left out because it wouldn't be wise to give Elena false hope."

Damon's head snapped back at that statement, "Are you saying I can survive? That we can come out of this?"

Anna nodded but her face was grim, "I wouldn't count on it and even if you do make it, you'd have done so much damage that she might hate you enough to kill you herself. You are right to grieve, Damon, because this is the end of your story with her in more ways than one."

"But Klaus dies?" Damon asked focused only on that goal.

"Yes." Anna answered looking him straight in the eyes, "He will die. Elena will live. She will be safe. Everyone she loves except for you will get through this."

"That's good enough for me," Damon said with a shrug, determined but defeated all in the same tragic moment.

Anna rewarded him with a pained smile as she leaned forward to whisper in his ear. Damon's eyes closed as he took in the weight of her words and the consequences of choosing to see them come to life. He struggled to make sense of it all, the madness they were born to and why they seemed to be destined for nothing but despair.

"I'm sorry," Anna said as she finished, kissing him lightly on the cheek, chilling him through to his core, "I wasn't brave enough to love when I had the chance."

"Then I guess I have to be brave enough for the two of us," Damon said in a hollow voice as Anna vanished from sight, leaving him in the empty room with only his shadow for company.

It was ironic that when she finally wanted to do the right thing, Katherine felt powerless. She wanted to do something to keep Klaus locked up but she froze. She struggled with the horror and the burning desire to get the hell out as she watched Greta and Maddox kneel before the case that held Klaus' real body. Alaric had already slumped to the floor and Katherine knew it was only a matter of time before he emerges.

Bile rose in her throat as she remembered the man she thought she once loved, the very same one who wanted her dead. Misplaced trust and her own naïve perceptions kept her from seeing things as they truly were, from seeing that she had gone too far and fell from the wrong man. Instead she piled on mistake after mistake until she was only a shell of her former self.

She ran from it all, losing track of the days as they bled into each other and the years just drowned in the trail of blood she left whenever she moved from one town to the next. Katherine in her fear of Klaus came closer to becoming the same monster the farther she distanced herself from him. But everything changed in Mystic Falls and she suddenly had something to run to….someone.

The chanting grew louder and the flames started to flicker brighter with every second that passed but they were lost on Katherine as her head spun with her realize that she was so close to dying and her lies brought her no comfort. But what paralyzed her was the possibility of having to watch Stefan slaughtered by Klaus. It was something she never prepared for and yet with every second it's closer to becoming a reality. She opened her mouth to protest but she was suddenly thrown backwards. Katherine slammed against the wall behind her and was left disoriented for a few seconds before she realized the case had blasted open and Klaus' body lay facedown on the ground, seemingly lifeless next to Alaric.

Greta stood up, staggering slightly as she pointed an accusing finger at Bonnie who stood in the doorway with Damon and Elijah behind her. She kicked Maddox, forcing him awake but he was already dead.

"What have you done?" Greta said weakly as blood dripped steadily from her forehead.

Bonnie merely held up her hand in response and instantly Greta crumpled to the ground in pain, howling as she went down.

"They tried so hard set you free but it seems you never needed saving," Bonnie spat out as she stepped over Greta, dagger in one hand and the other pointing at the door, "The seal is down, you can come in."

Elijah stepped over the threshold and swept the room with his eyes, lingering only where Katherine cowered in shock. "Well, no use wasting time here, Damon. Pick up the teacher and Katerina. We must go."

"She's your regret, not mine, so you take care of Katherine and I'll handle the teacher." Damon said crossing the room to where Alaric lay, checking his pulse, "Bonnie, did they complete it?"

Bonnie shook her head as she raised the dagger and plunged it through Klaus' heart, sending a ripple of power through the room as she said an incantation. The body exploded in a shower of fire and ash, blinding them all for a few seconds. Elijah blocked Katherine from the explosion, half dragging her out when it settled, commanding the rest of them to do the same.

"Now, Bonnie," Damon said with urgency, simultaneously lifting Alaric to drink his blood, "You know what needs to be done. Do it."

For a moment, Bonnie looked like she wouldn't do it but her hesitation vanished when she remembered that this was their best hope of closing this chapter forever. She raised her voice and spoke the words that forced Damon apart from Alaric, with the vampire convulsing in pain until he stood completely still. Damon had his eyes closed as he remained immobile. Katherine gasped, recognizing the words, the stance and everything flashing back to something she witnessed in recent history.

"No!" Greta screamed as she realized what was happening, recovering slightly as Bonnie directed her energy towards Damon, "You don't know what you're doing!"

"Elijah, take Alaric, get him out of here," Bonnie ordered as she brought Greta down once more.

Katherine moved to go back inside, alarmed with what was happening even if she couldn't fully connect the pieces just yet. "No, Katerina," Elijah said sounding unsure himself as he supported Alaric, "Let this play out."

"No, no, no," Katherine muttered to herself, sick with fear as she watched Damon finally lift his head and open his eyes. She stared at his face hoping she was wrong, that she could still find the man she broke with her selfishness. For the first time in her life, Katherine wanted to see Damon but she was too little, too late.

He wasn't there. Not anymore.

"Run," Bonnie said in a low but commanding voice, "Now."

Bonnie threw up an invisible wall between them before anyone could react and she fled after them.

Damon merely stood there and calmly watched them leave, making no attempt to follow them. After a few seconds he sat down and stared at Greta as she struggled to get up. He flexed his fingers in front of him before crossing his arms against his chest as Greta found her bearings.

"Not what I expected," he said calmly, "But it will do. I'm disappointed in you, Greta. You failed."

"I'm sorry," she said fearfully, "I didn't know…she found the power first. I thought they wouldn't find it…I'll do better. I'll—"

"Your words mean nothing to me," Damon said in a low voice, "But you have one chance to redeem yourself. Bring the doppelganger to me. Go."

Elena stood across the room from Stefan as they stared at each other in silence. She already lost count of the hours that they stayed that way since she returned sans Damon. Both of them still in disbelief at the choice Damon made. Elena wanted to find Damon and just run away with him. It was a dream that haunted her but she would always go back to her brother, her aunt and all her friends, so many people she loved that needed to be spared from a fate so undeserved. She knew one of them had to take the fall, she even understood it but it didn't mean it wasn't tearing her apart. She wanted to keep looking, trying other ways but time was never on their side.

Stefan wanted to go to Elena and just put his arms around her. It didn't matter that she made her choice between him and Damon. He just wanted to let her cry even just a little while, let her release even just a fraction of the darkness that was eating her up inside. Stefan wanted to take his brother's place, somehow take himself out of the equation and give his brother the life he forcibly took from him when they were in transition. But all he could do was look at her and know they were both broken inside.

"Elena," Stefan started but never finished as Katherine entered the room, looking distraught and disturbed— a rare occurrence that surprised them all.

Elijah deposited Alaric on the couch before facing off with Bonnie, ignoring everyone in the room, "I do not appreciate secrets and lies, witch. Do you realize what you've done?"

"I don't owe you anything, Elijah," Bonnie said not backing down, "I did what I had to do for the people I love. This is how it is supposed to play out."

"What are you talking about, Bonnie?" Elena said snapping out of her stupor, "What happened?"

Bonnie's expression softened as she turned to her friend, placing a hand on Elena's arm comfortingly, "I'm sorry but it had to be done."

"What had to be done, Bonnie?" Elena asked yanking her arm away, dread creeping up on her, sensing somehow that something had gone horribly wrong in her world.

A shrill ring interrupted them, making Elena jump before she realized it was her phone that was making the noise.

"Elena?" Jenna's voice came through the line, sounding completely worried, "I'm with Damon and he said you're in some kind of trouble. Where are you?"

"Jenna?" Elena said into the receiver, "What do you mean Damon is with you? I'm fine…I'm here at his house. Where are you?"

Suddenly the line went silent and the only thing Elena heard was a loud thud before Damon's voice came on the line, "Hello, Elena. I'm sorry but Jenna heard me wrong. I told her she was in trouble…not you. My bad."

"Damon…" Elena said as her heart sped into overdrive as she exchanged a glance with Bonnie, who mouthed an apology to her, "What…?"

"I really think you should come and get Jenna," he said casually, "She doesn't look so good. I don't think she's going to make it. I keep telling Greta to do something but she's not good with instructions apparently since she brought me Jenna. Not exactly what I asked for but I can work with what I'm given."

"Where are you?" Elena asked hoarsely, her heart slamming against her chest as the truth settled on her painfully, breaking her in ways she never thought possible.

"At your house," he replied calmly.

"Why?" Elena said out loud to no one and everyone, at a complete loss as she tried to comprehend what was happening.

"I'm curious about that as well but it's not important to me right now," he said, "I'm waiting, Elena. I'm so excited to see you. Aren't you?"

"No, never…Klaus," Elena said in a hollow voice as she realize how right she was when she said the name out loud.

Damon's laughter rang in Elena's ear, hurting her to know it wasn't really his. "Very good, Elena. You're much more intelligent than I gave you credit for. Now, one more thing…come alone."

Elena heard the click when the call ended but she kept it close to her ear, somehow hoping that it wasn't real. She wanted to hold on a few more seconds because just maybe it was all just a bad dream. But from the tears fell from her face, the ones that matched Bonnie's and the look of horror on Stefan's face, she knew she needed to stop lying to herself because for all intents and purposes, Damon is dead.

Elena felt the overwhelming sorrow wash over her only for a second before she blacked out and fell into Stefan's waiting arms. But it didn't comfort her like it used to because she chose to not to feel as she gave in to the darkness that waited for her with open arms. Her last thought fell out of her lips like a wish that never have an answer.

"I love you, Damon."