A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. Please review after reading and if you would like your review to be personally responded to, put a * before your review and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible. Enjoy!

"What are we going to do?" Elena asked.

"Survive, like always." Damon responded, brushing a strand of her straight brown hair off of her face and tucking it behind her ear.

"But, how?" Elena was still worried. She was worried because she had finally found the one person that had started a fire within her that would never die, and the risk of losing him permanently scared her unbelievably.

"I'm working on it," Damon responded. Elena pursed her lips and furrowed her brow at his response.

Damon read her look. It was the look she wore when she was anxious and trying to find answers in him.

"Damon, tell me what you're thinking," Elena insisted, grabbing his hand and stroking the back of it with her thumb. Damon looked down at the gesture and a small smile crawled across his cheeks. He made eye contact with Elena again. His blue eyes were soft and loving. Elena felt comforting warmth flush her skin as she stared at him.

"I'm thinking about how damn lucky I am to be loved by you," Damon responded.

This was not the answer that Elena was looking for, but at the same time, it was exactly what she wanted to hear. Elena felt suspended in the moment, lost in the confines of their temporary tunneled world. He was all she could see. He was all she could ever need.

Elena returned the smile before bringing them back to reality.

"You know what I mean, Damon. What are we going to do about Klaus?"

Damon's lips steadily turned down into a straight line as he stood, temporarily lost in thought. Eventually, he came up with an action plan.

"We could hit the highway," Damon said confidently. Elena scoffed and laughed, rolling her eyes at him. She thought that he was joking, but he kept his face straight. Elena quickly realized that he was completely serious.

"Oh come on Damon, you know I can't do that."

"Why not?" Damon insisted, narrowing his eyes flirtatiously at her, "You and me. Alone in the Camaro, living as nomads. We could be the vampire version of Bonnie and Clyde." Damon winked at Elena and she smiled in response.

"I'd love to just uproot and leave with you," Elena began, "But, I can't do that. I have Jeremy. And Caroline, and Tyler, and Matt, and Bonnie, and Stefan." Elena paused temporarily on Stefan's name, reading Damon's reaction. Damon seemed impassive so she continued, "We'd be safe, but they wouldn't."

Damon pursed his lips at her words. He knew that she was right; he knew that she would never leave her whole life behind, no matter what the consequences.

"Hey yeah, saviors?" Caroline interrupted Damon and Elena. "Do you mind if we have a say in our fate too?" They both turned their heads towards her.

Matt, Bonnie, Jeremy, Caroline, and Stefan were all present. Tyler decided against attending; he needed some time away from Caroline and Stefan.

"By all means, Blondie, blow us away." Damon sarcastically gestured to the group. Caroline raised her eyebrows at him sassily before speaking.

"I say we stay and fight. Outsmart him, like we usually do," Caroline argued.

"Yes, why can't we just fight the 1000 year old vampire-werewolf hybrid?" Damon paused, turning his nose sarcastically up at the ceiling, "Oh yeah, that's right. Because we'd die."

"We could do without the sarcasm," Stefan interjected.

"Do you even know me?" Damon retorted. Elena smiled at the playfulness of the conversation. Damon and Stefan had been so hostile towards each other for so long that even the smallest moments of joking was something that she cherished.

"We could all run," Jeremy perked up, obviously ignoring the little tangent that they had gotten on.

Everyone's attention turned to Jeremy. He looked up at Elena and the moment they made eye contact it was as though they had some mutual understanding. Jeremy wrapped his arms around Bonnie and pulled her closer to him, pressing a kiss to her cheek. Elena watched the display of love and felt her heart swell. She loved it when the people she cared about were happy. The public display of affection made Elena feel empty. She desired Damon's touch again.

Damon must have read her thoughts. He closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around Elena's waist. Elena leaned into him, feeling his warmth encapsulate her. She could smell the smoke from the fireplace lingering on his leather jacket, the same fireplace that resided in the place that had become her home.

"We can't run." Elena argued.

"Why not?" Jeremy asked.

"Because that's not a good lifestyle. That's not the lifestyle for us."

"The lifestyle we live now is not the lifestyle for us." Jeremy insisted. He looked at his sister with complete sincerity, "You're a vampire. You're dating a 170 year old reformed serial killer vampire. I'm dating a witch. Your best friend is a vampire who is dating a hybrid. We are in a constant battle against either the Original hybrid or a 500 year old vengeful ex-girlfriend. Our life is insane as it is, running wouldn't hurt anything…" Jeremy paused, his eyes switched to Damon, "Staying would."

Elena's eyes darted up to Damon as well and she sighed. She knew that Jeremy was right, but she wasn't happy about it.

It would be bittersweet to leave Mystic Falls. On one end, she suffered so much pain in Mystic Falls—the death of her parents, Jenna, and even herself. On the other end, she was born and raised in Mystic Falls, she had always thought of it as home.

Elena felt Damon tighten his grip on her and she inhaled deeply, letting every part of him overwhelm her. She felt so content in his arms. She felt so powerful to the point where she felt almost invincible. She felt so safe, like nothing in the universe could break her.

That's when Elena realized that no matter where she travelled, as long as she was with Damon, she would always be at home.

"Okay," Elena finally conceded. She looked around at the solemn faces of her friends, subtly asking for consent.

Jeremy and Bonnie nodded at her in agreement. Matt and Caroline were more hesitant with their nods, but they eventually gave in. All that was left was Stefan. Elena looked at him and he looked up at her. His green eyes darted between his ex-girlfriend and brother, obviously fighting some internal battle. Eventually, he nodded as well.

"Let's go," Stefan said.

They all left that evening. The escape from Mystic Falls was considerably planned out: they would only take three cars, pack lightly, take back roads, and avoid any interactions with other people in the town. Matt was driving his truck with Caroline and Stefan; they were tasked with hauling all the luggage. Tyler, Bonnie, and Jeremy were in Bonnie's hybrid and of course Elena and Damon took the Camaro.

Right before everyone departed they decided that Damon would lead the way; or rather, Damon decided that Damon would lead the way.

Damon and Elena were silently driving down an empty highway, Damon going way over the speed limit. Elena had been giving Damon side-glances the whole trip, desperately wondering where he was taking them. Eventually, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Okay, where are we going?" Elena huffed, tapping her fingers against the armrest. Damon raised his eyebrows and looked at her from the corner of his eyes, his typical smug smile plastered on his cheeks.

"It's a surprise," Damon responded. Elena nodded and looked back out her window temporarily before huffing again and turning back to him.

"Tell me."

"Someone's impatient."

"Yes, I am impatient. I want to know. Where are you taking us?" Elena insisted.

"It's a surprise," Damon repeated. Elena sighed and pursed her lips.

"You're a pain in the ass, ya know?" Elena rhetorically asked. Damon nodded and shrugged.

"But I'm your pain in the ass."

Elena smiled at those words and leaned over the divider until her lips were hovering only an inch above his ear.

"And I wouldn't want it any other way," Elena whispered. She loved being able to call him hers. She watched as his lips twitched up into a slightly bigger smile. In response, she pecked him on the cheek before falling back into her seat. They sat in silence for a while, staring at the empty, large highway that was unfolding before them. On each side of the car, there were vast plains—miles on end of brown wheat dancing in the wind.

"Do you remember when I said I wished you had met me in 1894?" Damon broke the silence. Elena looked at him in confusion—she was confused about what made him ask that question.

"Of course I do, that was our first kiss." Elena paused, temporarily lost in nostalgia, "Why?"

"Because the memory-less Damon that you met was the closest you will ever get to knowing 1894 Damon," He stated, his eyes absently watching the road.

"Mmm," Elena responded. She stared at him in silence for a moment.

Damon tore his eyes from the road to stare back at her and that's when Elena realized that he was searching for her reaction to 1894 Damon.

"Well, if that was what you were like in 1894," Elena paused, "I'm glad I met you when I did."

Elena could see his electric blue eyes soften at her words. She could see the way her validation settled over his being—a light was excited within him because Elena Gilbert loved him for who he was now, not who he secretly always thought he should be. Damon knew she loved him, but he always had some subconscious desire to make himself 'better' for her. Now he realized that he was already perfect in her eyes, and nothing was more relieving to him.

"Honestly, that guy was a prick," Elena added and Damon let out a small laugh.

"He was, wasn't he?" Damon responded and Elena laughed with him. Slowly, Elena's eyes drifted from Damon to the road and when they did, Elena gasped in surprise and fear.

"Damon!" Elena shouted, grabbing his attention. Damon's eyes quickly darted back to the highway and he slammed on the brakes. The car came to a screeching halt.

In the middle of the highway, Klaus stood with a demonic grin and angry eyes.

Damon utilized his quick reflexes. His hands were like a blur as he switched gears to reverse and looked over his shoulder.

Damon was about to accelerate when he was violently thrown from the car. No matter how quick Damon was, Klaus was faster. Klaus grabbed Damon roughly by the throat and slammed him against the Camaro, pinning him against the car.

Elena rushed out of the car and around to the side where the event was occurring. She saw the fear in Damon's eyes as he hysterically clawed at Klaus's hand, gritting his teeth painfully hard as he tried to get some leverage against Klaus. But, Klaus was way too strong. Elena could practically see the anger pulsing through Klaus. Instantly, she knew that Klaus meant business.

Elena jumped to action, the thought of losing Damon permanently too terrible to bear. She would do everything within her power to prevent that from happening and she prayed that it would be enough.

"Klaus! Let him go!" Elena shouted.

"Sorry love, but I have a threat to fulfill," Klaus responded, tightening his grip on Damon's throat. He smiled wider as Damon struggled more.

"You don't need to do this," Elena attempted to reason with him, but her attempts were futile. Klaus drove his free hand into Damon's chest and clasped his hand around Damon's heart. Elena's eyes widened and her heartbeat was deafening in her ears. Her mind desperately searched for alternatives.

Eventually, her mind settled on an extremely rash decision. She ran with vampire speed to the trunk of the Camaro and quickly threw open Damon's leather bag. Inside, there was a litany of stakes and vervain grenades, among other things. Elena grabbed the nearest stake and stepped back into view.

"Klaus!" Elena shouted, calling his attention to her. The Original hybrid turned his head in her direction. Elena lifted the wooden stake and held it directly above her heart, "Let him go or I'll kill myself."

Damon widened his eyes at Elena as if saying 'no! Drop it,' but Elena ignored the look. She was set in her decision—she would do anything if it meant keeping Damon alive. Elena resolved a long time ago that an angry Damon was better than a dead Damon, and nothing would break her from that resolution.

Unfortunately, Klaus seemed unphased by her attempt. In fact, he laughed at her.

"Do it," He said impassively. Elena's heart dropped at his words, "Sorry to disappoint, but your doppelgänger blood doesn't hold power over me anymore. I've come to a realization," Klaus paused and turned his nose up sarcastically, as though he was some enlightened being ingesting knowledge from the sky, "I let you get away with too much. It's starting to make me seem…weak. And I don't like to be perceived as weak." He spat out the last word.

"But, I'm the last doppelganger!" Elena reasoned, "Who's blood will you use for your spells? Your hybrids?" Elena spoke rapidly, adrenaline pumping through her veins instead of blood.

"Believe it or not, love, the universe does not revolve around you." Klaus chuckled once again. His eyes turned back to Damon, "Hmm, I can't say that I'll miss you. I've been waiting for a long, long time to do this."

And with those final words, Klaus jerked his hand back, yanking Damon's heart free from his chest. Damon's heart fell from Klaus's hand and with one final, wicked smile, Klaus ran off.

Elena felt like the whole world slowed. She watched dumbfounded as Damon fell to his knees, thin veins beginning to crawl up his skin. Elena rushed over to Damon's side and pulled him into her arms. Hot tears began running down her cheeks.

The veins were travelling slowly, but surely, up his skin, ingesting every inch of his being. She watched as the electricity in his blue eyes faded into absentee nothingness, she watched as the love that glazed his irises slowly disappeared. She watched as her Damon disappeared, leaving only a shell.

There was no worse pain than watching the love of her life permanently slip from her life.

"No," Elena whispered, tears rolling off her cheeks and splashing onto his suddenly cold face. She placed her hands on either side of his face the way she'd did when she first told him 'I love you.' She gently shook him, "Damon, no, please, no, no!"

The tears were falling uncontrollably now.

Elena Gilbert had suffered much loss in her lifetime, but none of which hurt to the extent losing Damon Salvatore did. She felt like her entire being had been ripped in two. She felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest when his was—in fact, she wished that it had.

Elena grasped at Damon's shirt and clutched his lifeless body closer to chest, hoping that maybe the feeling of his body would help fill the hole that dominated her heart, but it only made things worse. His arms hung limply at his side, the same arms that used to hold her late at night, keeping her safe. Elena took his hand in hers the same way she did when Damon saved her from the hunter's curse. That was a time when Elena was still coming to terms with her feelings for Damon.

"Please, please," Elena whispered shakily between tears. She pressed her wet lips to his temple, "Don't leave me."

Out of the corner of her eye, Elena could see Damon's bloody heart lying next to them on the empty highway. Any second now, her friends would be catching up to them, but she was too lost in her grief to actually care. Instead, she pressed one final kiss to Damon's once-soft, lively lips and let the sobs take over her body.