His heart was thumping as Elena drew closer to him, looked beautiful in a simple white gown. He was not one for marriage or weddings. He was not one for love.

But here he was, standing at the altar surrounded by friends and family as a beautiful brown-eyed girl made her way towards him, the smile on her face lighting her up form the inside out.

His own smile spread and the genuine joy that escaped his features would have shocked all those who knew him.

There were many people in the audience. Word had travelled of Elena Gilbert, vampire doppelgänger of the Katerina Petrova who had evaded Klaus for half a millennia. Elena Gilbert who had finally tamed the notorious Damon Salvatore. Elena Gilbert, who had the Petrova Fire and blood running through her veins. There was talk of this Elena Gilbert being like a sister to the blonde vampire who Klaus had fallen for. The blonde who had ended his fearful reign of control over the vampire world.

Vampires had flocked to the place. A town built of myths and legends. Of vampires and werewolves. Of witched and ghosts. Bloodthirsty vampires with their emotions non-existent had even come. As if they too hoped to find a human girl who would change them. A human who would then in turn, change for them.

Those who knew him knew he loved wildly, passionately, uncontrollably – they had seen a shadow of it in his obsession with Katherine, but now...

Now it was intensified.

Vampires had travelled from all across the world to see if the rumours were true. Not only of the doppelgänger's vampirism but of her ability to make Damon Salvatore – the eternal bachelor – fall in love with her.

It had been a while since they had left Mystic Falls – time was lost to them – but they had found their way back. They had found their way back home.

He had glimpsed Elijah in the crowd, watching with his silent pride and unwavering dignity.

Brown hair and brown eyes so like, yet so different from the ones he had fallen in love with caught his attention. He nodded to Katherine who in turn nodded back, offering only the briefest of smiles before merging with the crowd

A flash of blonde hair and a deafening squeal had announced Caroline's arrival. He knew Klaus wouldn't be far behind.

He knew his brother was in the crowd somewhere, an unseen yet constant presence. It comforted him to know his whole family was here, no matter who dysfunctional and small it may be.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today-"

The droning voice of a priest blended into the background as Elena reached him.

No matter what happened they would face it together.

She turned to gaze into his enchanting blue eyes and smiled.

"We did it." She kissed him, so softly yet so full of meaning it still took her breath away.

"We did it." He echoed quietly and he spun he gracefully in time with the soft music.

"Through everything, we made it Damon. Together." Her brown eyes sparkled with love. It was in that moment she knew. She knew they would be forever.

"Where are we?" She giggled uncontrollably as his strong grip clouded her vision.

"Guess."

"You're hands are over my eyes, Damon." She rolled her eyes, exasperated.

"Guess." He repeated determinedly.

She struggled and wrenched herself from his gasp, laughing triumphantly before she noticed the breathtaking scenery.

It was a scene that no words can do justice to. When you state the bare facts the beauty is lost in the words and the true image that lay before her would never be known to another.

A sunset. A perfect sunset. An orange sky shot through with red, yellow and snatches of pink. Water glistened in the evening light, stretching out endlessly before them.

She turned, his perfect face washed in the faint light of a fading day.

"Happy Birthday, Elena."

She smiled. Every birthday since her twentieth had been spent this way. A new place, a new setting.

"What am I now? Eighty is it?" He chuckled softly.

"You don't look a day over nineteen and you know it.." he winked slyly at her.

"I love you Elena. I love you now, and I'll love you in a century, I will love you-."

She cut him off with one word. Finishing his previous sentence she simply said, "Forever."

She didn't hesitate, she simply crashed her lips to his, passion which hadn't faded exploding between them once more.

This wasn't simple a love between a man and woman. This was more. This was all-consuming, adventurous, passionate. It was dangerous.

It was everything he had told her she had wanted that night all those years ago. She had finally found everything she had been looking for.

"What the fuck, Damon?" She growled as she walked into the alleyway.

"Get over it, Elena!" He hissed

"You have got to be fucking kidding me!" He snarled as words poured form her mouth.

"You killed him! You drained him dry." her voice was hard and low.

She had accepted every part of him, but he still knew, even after all these years she would never feel okay about him killing. She could deal but caught unawares anger and sadness came rushing out at a heightened intensity.

"I. Am. A. Vampire. And so are you! Tell me you haven't killed anyone Elena. Can you tell me that?"

It was cruel to use that against her and they both knew it.

He say in her gaze he had gone to far. Just one step to far. She turned on her heel and fled to their apartment. They had been in Britain for the better part of three years and it had become a haven for them. It was so different form their American upbringing and they revelled in the fascination the British – humans and vampires – held for them.

They had encountered Caroline and Klaus in London much to Elena's delight, and though he would deny it, his own. He had missed the hyperactive blonde and her antics.

They were in Edinburgh now, where the streets were paved with gold as he had heard as a boy. They would leave soon, to a new country and a new place, a new life.

He groaned as he stalked into their apartment and stormed into the kitchen where Elena was currently drinking bourbon. He almost smiled at the sight. She'd taken well to his drinking habits, now he didn't have to complain at her drinking tequila or some other pointless drink.

"It was an accident." was all he could spit out and pray she would understand.

"What?" Her voice was hard and emotionless. For a second fear overtook him. A fear for her. She had flipped the switch only once in the past century – when she had given into the hunger and killed a young teenager. He had spent weeks with her during that time. Not fun.

He sat beside her in silence, waiting for the angry tirade which he had come to expect during the rare times the fought.

"I'm sorry." He was shocked. Wasn't he supposed to be the one apologising?

"I'm so-"

"Don't you dare say your sorry." she actually laughed. "You just caught me when I wasn't ready. We are vampires. We kill to survive, we try to fight it but it catches us when we least expect it.. It's what we are. So I'm sorry. I overreacted."

She pressed a sweet kiss to his lips.

That was it. No more yelling or screaming or angry words. When they fought... Hell, they fought hard. Harsh words, angry voices, regrets but never for long. Never enough to break them.

They were forever. They were the kind of forever that become a fairytale – the kind that gets lost behind the picture of a handsome prince who is nothing but good and a weak princess who waits to be rescued.

They weren't conventional. They hadn't met and fallen in love with sweet words and stolen kisses. They had fought and they had fought hard for what they had. They were their own fairytale – a new kind of fairytale.

Forget the princess or the wicked stepmother. Forget an evil curse or a poisoned apple. Forget everything that led to the happy ending and focus on just that. The ending.

They weren't without flaws. They would fight and kick and scream but that was simply them. They would not be Damon and Elena if life was without fire.

They weren't alone either.

Matt had been turned unsuspectingly by an unnamed vampire which Elena had torn apart in a rage of anger when she had heard. She would not admit it but she was happy to have her childhood friend for eternity.

Jeremy and Bonnie had worked things out. Then, with some serious help from some corrupt witches she had frozen them in time. They were human, but not ageing. It was a compromise. It was still forever, just a slightly less durable version of forever.

Caroline and Klaus roamed the earth, discovering the wonders and beauty it held and discovering a new love and a new life which neither had truly known to exist.

Tyler had found himself with a hybrid named Sasha. A fiery girl with wild red hair and slanting green eyes which were so much like the Caroline he had once known who's eyes still plagued his thoughts.

Stefan was Stefan. He never learnt to control his bloodlust and Damon and Elena would fight the pain in their hearts when tragedies of entire small towns being wiped out by a rabid animal or a uncontrollable fire reached their ears.

Katherine was never forgotten. She was still a manipulative bitch but more an ally than a threat then slowly, over the years she was a friend.

The Originals were still deadly, hailed with the same revered awe as before but now they were held in the same light as those from Mystic Falls.

They weren't all known by name, but known by legend and became more myth than fact as the years wore on.

The blonde who had tamed the Original Hybrid was a mystery and a treasure. Someone feared yet awed.

The Ripper was a force to be reckoned with when on human blood but a kind and loving man when not. There were rumours of a girl, a girl who would keep him on track. A girl who would replace the aching whole the doppelgängers had left within his heart.

The First Doppelgänger, a Petrova who had played the Salvatore brother's was feisty and stubborn and very much known as fact. She would appear where there was trouble and revelled in chaos and madness.

Then there was Damon and Elena.

Their story was passed from ear to ear until it became widely exaggerated into a tale of epic love at first sight and easy decisions. Not one person knew the true details apart from themselves. Anyone who came asking for answers was turned away disappointed. Or dead.

Damon and Elena.

A passing myth.

A twisted fairytale.

A promise of love – no matter where it comes from.

They were forever.

fin.

A/N: So that's it. It's over. I'm not going to write a long paragraph about the people I thank because I thank every single person who ever made it this far to read this.

I do not want this to end so I had an idea about a 'deleted scenes' sort of thing. Let me know your opinions.

Thank you. -E