A/N: This is the finale chapter, as I stated in the beginning. This is a very short story so I hope everyone enjoyed the small ride. I hope this chapter leave you with relief and suspense, one day I might want to continue this story on. Or allow someone else to do a sequel for it so that explains why the end is the way it is. You have to read to find out, thanks for those who commented... and for those who followed and favorited the story. It was a lot of fun writing it and again I have to give a huggggeee thanks to my beta Amy (amygerrard on ) who made this story look way better than it was. Her editing and quickness was perfection, you should all check out her page. She also has a Elena/Elijah story that I plan to real very soon, so check out her page and show her love.

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This Chapter will be told in both Elena and Elijah point of view, you'll know when the switch happens.

Chapter VI: Expect the Unexpected

"Where did Stefan go?" I murmured softly.

His eyes temporarily widened but then they were back to normal quicker than ever.

"I saw that, where is he?" I continued as he avoided my eyes, "the truth."

"Finding a way to save your life."

"No, no, no, no…"I trailed off, still repeating that word mentally until I felt Elijah's hands on my shoulders. I felt his fingers gently massage my flesh as he attempted to cool me off but this time, it wasn't comforting at all. Why couldn't Stefan just let it go and understand just how much I was ready for it all to be over?I was basically doing this all for them anyway. The minute that I died, everyone would have been safe, they should have been safe but then I woke up. As a vampire, nonetheless. It was only right that I died now, it would be safer for all of them.

I heard his sharp intake of breath and that's when I looked up into his eyes, brown meeting brown. I still couldn't figure out what that look I saw in his eyes was. If I didn't know any better,I would have thought I recognized that look he was giving me but it couldn't possibly be true, so I wouldn't overanalyze it.

"Is Bonnie with him?" I already knew the answer to my question but I guess, I wanted confirmation. He gave one sharp nod and I bobbed my head knowingly in return. I sighed softly in defeat as his hands urged me to lie back down. It seemed like he wanted to say something but second guessed himself. His silent demeanor spiked my curiosity and I found that I needed to know what he was thinking about.

"What?" I rasped, glancing at him from the corner of my eye as my head sunk into my plush pillow.

"You only have hours left…maybe even minutes," he murmured regretfully.

I didn't know what to say to that, I was so sure that I wanted to die today. I had had everything planned and figured out. The more I really thought about it, however, the more I realized that I didn't want to die…I wasn't ready for it to all be over yet. I was sure I wanted it but as I thought back, as I thought now, I wasn't so sure. I was only doing this for Bonnie, Jeremy, Stefan… even Damon. I was doing it for everyone that I cared about and loved. I just knew that my death would keep them safe; there would be any more people coming after them and threatening their lives if the final doppelganger was gone.

He didn't speak, he just waited for me to reply. The longer my silence filled the room, the more pained his expression became and it confused me. For a mere second, I considered asking him why he was so down but again, I went against it.

Comfort.

Confusion.

Choices.

As I awoke again, I lay still without opening my eyes. I felt someone touching my hand soothingly. It felt so good that I didn't want to open my eyes to see who the person was. That was when I heard his voice.

"I know you will hate me for this, but I refuse to allow you to die just because you'll hate me in the end. I love you too much."

It was Damon.

He grabbed my hand tighter, as if he was holding on for dear life as I continued to keep my eyes closed, simply listening to his words.

"I don't want you to hate me forever, it's the last thing that I want. I guess, since I started all of this, I need to finish it. I fed you blood so you could turn into a vampire if Klaus killed you, but I should have known you would act this way. That you wouldn't want to kill to be a vampire. So, either way, you win. I lose you."

For some reason, a tear slipped from the corner of my sealed closed eye. His tight hold on my hand loosened up as I finally opened my eyes to look at him. By the look on his face, he knew that I had heard his whole speech.

"Elena, I won't allow you to die," he murmured, the strength radiating in his voice.

It took me a few moments before I came to the reply I wanted to give him. "How are you here?"

Damon's brow furrowed. "What?"

"How are you even here? Didn't Elijah compel you to stay away?" The hurt that flashed across his eyes, affected me more than it should have but it was better this way, it would probably be easier for him to accept my decision this way.

"Elena, if you go through with this... it will be the stupidest thing you've ever done," he vowed, his jaw clenching. "That's why I won't allow you to do this. You are currently in transition. You need to drink human blood."

"Why?" I muttered softly, my eyes shining with defiance. "I don't want to be a killer. I refuseto be one. I never wanted to be a vampire."

"But you would date one?" he retorted, letting go of my hand and moving to pace along my floor, while still, nevertheless, looking into my eyes.

"It's different," I started to explain before he interrupted me.

"How is it different? I'm a vampire. Stefan is one and you have a best friend, Caroline, who is one. They all look pretty undead to me."

"HOW CAN YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?" I screamed out in frustration as I sat up on my bed, albeit weakly. Only Damon could bring this side out of me; the side that made me just want to punch my fist through a wall.

"Oh, sorry, Elena," he scoffed, the sarcasm dripping from his words. "Sorry for not understanding the thinking process of anyone who would want to allow themselves to waste away and die when they have the chance to live."

Tears started to fall down my cheeks as I began to explain. "So, that's what you think? You think that I want to die. Over this past day, I actually realized how much I want to live. I want that more than anything... but to never have that chance to have a child. Or to grow older, to be married. I don't have that choice anymore."

My lips began to wobble as I continued on, "I am tired of everyone dying for me. I'm tired of always needing to be saved. This is the only way for all of this," I motioned with my hands to our surroundings, "to end. For Jeremy even, the only way for him to have a normal life is for me to die. How can you not get that?"

I tilted my head, offering him a sad smile. "Not so long ago, Stefan told me about his regret. About how he made you become a vampire when you didn't want to. I thought that if anyone would understand me, I automatically assumed it would have been you. Even through the mask you wear for everyone, I understand you. We have an understanding."

Damon seemed to finally get my view on this, as he went back into his original position in front of me, kneeling down on one knee. He held both of my hands in his larger ones, the warmth of them warming my own.

"I can't let you go," he said simply, the love shining in his cerulean eyes.

I touched his face and hugged him as the tears continued to fall from my eyes. I clutched at his shirt as the sobs wracked through my chest.

I sniffled, burrowing my head into the skin of his neck and inhaling his familiar scent. "So, how did you get here, Damon?" I said as I continued to hug him.

"I had a very convincing conversation with Elijah. Of course, I did the complete opposite from everything I talked about with him. I'm still clueless as to why you trust him."

I just smiled as I ignored that last part of his sentence.

Darkness.

Fading.

Gasping,

Heartache.

Surprises.

She cried out but there wasn't anything I could do. I had never felt so helpless in my entire existence. I never knew that I could feel this way again. There was something so enchanting about her, something that just drew me in…that drew so many in.

Elena kept blacking out, her body was ready to give up but she was not ready. She put on a brave face that I could see straight through; she was doing all of this for her loved ones, that much was obvious.

"Elena," I whispered her name, knowing that she would hear me. Her eyes flickered open yet again and she peered up at me from her position on her bed, the pillow propping her head up so that she didn't have to waste any energy trying to hold it up herself..

"How long has it been?" Her first question was quiet but I heard it perfectly.

"Only fifteen minutes," I forced myself to control my voice, sounding as casual as ever.

"Why is it taking so long?" she asked simply, her tongue poking out to wet her dry and cracked lips.

"Because you aren't letting go, you keep fighting and resisting it because you still want to live. You are not ready to die yet." Her eyes started to get teary, the redness there contrasting sharply with the ashen skin on her face. She was supposed to be dead hours ago but she was still hanging on, a fighter until the very end it seemed.

"Or, because you feed me your blood to keep me alive longer." Her mouth quirked up in a pleasant smile, her eyes sparkling. I was glad that she could at least show that one last smile before her final rest.

"You know, when I first met you, I was scared out of my mind," she whispered. "I never would've imagined that you would be the one here when I d- when….

"I know." I didn't want her to say 'die', she obviously wasn't ready to face the reality of that; the fact that, in only a few minutes, she would be dead. I wasn't even ready to face that yet but that revelation didn't surprise me.

Before I could stop myself, I went towards to her and knelt down in front of her bed, pressing my lips to hers. Her eyes automatically closed, and I felt her breath fan across my lips as I pulled away. … Her eyes stayed closed, her lips still puckered and it was obvious that she wanted it, she was not going to even try to resist. My lips continued to brush against hers, her lips were soft…everything I expected. I felt her slowly dying, her body going limp. Elena wasn't letting go yet, though. Her arms wrapped around my neck, pulling me closer to her body until I towered over her. She wasn't thinking about anyone else or how they would feel, she was just living in her last moments… there was no time for regrets or rights and wrongs. It was just them.

I pulled back from her, her eyes were still closed and I knew what was about to happen.

The last words I said to her, the only words I could think of. "I wish that I could have saved you."

Her heart rate sped up as her hand clung to her chest, an unbearable cry ripping from her throat.

.

.

.

.

.

"I finally fell in love."

..

…..

….

Gasping.

Clutching.

Spells.

"Unfortunately, Katerina took matters into her own hands first. I believe you already know how that played out."

What the… I was so confused…didn't I just have this conversation days ago?

I said the first thing that came into my mind, "you cared about her didn't you?" I stared directly into his eyes, waiting for the response I vaguely remembered.

"It's a common mistake I'm told, it's one I won't make again."

We looked into one another's eyes briefly. He was set to leave after that but I managed to stop him with my hand on his arm. Everything came back to me then; the pain, Elijah being there with me until the end, me finally giving up…a chanting in my mind. It all felt like a dream but I knew it wasn't. I just knew it. Bonnie had to have done a spell…but why didn't Elijah remember?