A/N: No Elena's Diary in this one unfortunately due to being taken by Klaus. Another long one so don't forget to bring your popcorn – I'd take it for granted that the next few chapters are going to be long ones! Enjoy the Last Day, I own nothing.
P.S – While I remember, I wrote 1 chapter that's non-canon to try and sort of...bridge the gap between Season 2 & 3...if you're interested in reading it then let me know in your review, otherwise I'll just continue right on to Season 3 it's up to you lot so don't forget to let me know.
The Last Day
"I don't have a choice but I'd still choose you
Oh I don't love you but I always will"
I do not like today. I do not like today at all. In fact I would quite like to stay in bed all day and ignore everything and everyone but of course I can't. Elijah's words bring everything painfully into focus "tonight is the full moon. We should assume that Klaus is prepared to break the curse" ah fuck. I suppose I better get up and save the day then. Save our girl.
"Why are we letting him break the curse? We could kill him today with Bonnie" – "No. Bonnie can't use that much power without dying"oh for heaven's sake honey when are you going to get that I don't care about the witch? "I'll write her a great eulogy" – "It's not an option Damon" oh but you dying is? I think not.
"All right, how do we break this curse?" Stefan asks and Elijah explains the minute details of how the stupid ritual works and I don't care. All I care about is the part where Elena lives.
"Klaus must drink the blood of the doppelganger to the point of your death" Nope. Nope. Nope.
"And that's where you come in" – "It's an elixir that I acquired some 500 years ago for Katerina it...possesses mystical properties of...resurrection" Nope. Nope. Nope. I do not trust this thing. Or him for that matter.
"That's your plan? A magical witch potion with no expiration date?" how can they possible believe that a drink will bring her back to life? This isn't fucking Alice in Wonderland folks.
"What if it doesn't work Elena?" – "Then I guess I'll just be dead" Oh. My. God. She did not just say that. "Wha-" I look to Stefan for some help here and he...shrugs. He just fucking shrugs. Yep. Really should have just stayed in bed this morning. Does he not love her at all? What the fuck is wrong with him? Screw this. Screw them.
You want to know what I just figured out? Stefan does, in fact, love Elena but it's nowhere near the way I love her. In fact it's so far removed from how much I love her that it's almost fucking laughable. If it were a laughing matter that is, which it's not. If he can sit there calmly and accept her almost certain death then there is something fucking wrong with that boy.
If he loved her even a fraction of how much I love her then there is nothing he wouldn't do. And I realise now that I was wrong, when I compelled her to forget that I loved her, I told her that my brother deserved her and man was I wrong. He doesn't fucking deserve her, he doesn't fucking love her properly. He can't see what's standing right in front of him.
I'm not saying I deserve her either but when I get her through the other side of this damn sacrifice and I will, some way or another, I'm going to start fighting for her. I backed off because I thought Stefan deserved her. Well not anymore. I'm done.
I'm standing outside contemplating these things when Stefan comes to annoy me "breakfast of champions huh?" he asks referring to my bourbon "I'm surrounded by idiots, need all the help I can get" him being the biggest idiot of them all.
"You know you're not helping" – "Elijah's an Original vampire Stefan, one we tried to kill, you can't believe this guy" – "What do you want me to do Damon?" well let me tell you Stefan I want you to fucking fight for her life. With everything you have. With everything you are. That's what you do for the girl you love.
"Elena made her decision. She's choosing to trust Elijah, I'm gonna put my faith in her" but she's only doing it because she's Elena. She sees the good in everyone, except...Katherine, maybe.
"Why? She's gonna end up dead" – "Because she put her faith in me. She chose to trust me in spite of what I am. If I'm gonna bet on somebody's instincts it's gonna be hers" – "Well then that makes you the biggest idiot of them all" classic brooding Stefan. Forever unable to get over the fact that he's a fucking vampire.
"She chose to trust you too" –"Well maybe you shouldn't be so sure about her instincts" I have to get away from him and his abundant stupidity.
Oh...dear. Ric, I think...is here and Jenna's pointing a crossbow at him. "It's me Jenna I swear...Klaus let me go" – "Prove it" – "Okay uh...first night you and I spent together Jeremy walked in while..." – "Okay it's him" hah! Oh I am so getting the rest of that story out of him later. Sounds kinky.
"He wanted me to deliver a message. The sacrifice happens tonight" nuh-uh. Not on my watch. Elena is scared I can sense it; hell I can smell it and I hate it. But I will find a way to keep her safe.
The girl of the hour comes to see me in my room "You disappeared" – "I didn't wanna hear anymore" – "I need you to understand why I'm doing this" oh I get it Elena. I just hate it. "Why? Clearly doesn't matter what I think" – "I'll be fine Damon. I'll drink the elixir, Bonnie will kill Klaus and then all of this will finally be over" yeah. And you'll be dead.
"If it works" – "It will work" – "You think it will work. You want it to work. Why am I the only one who's convinced it won't? There has to be another way" – "There isn't" oh come on 'Lena. You are the queen of coming up with other ways. Think of something.
"You're gonna die Elena" – "And then I'll come back to life" – "That is not a risk I am willing to take" she clasps my hand in hers and it's almost my undoing because I'm struggling with the urge to just grab her and run the fuck away and never come back and I'm just so...I'm so fucking scared. "But I am. It's my life Damon. My choice" have I mentioned how much I've started to despise that word? Choice.
I can't..."We can't lose you" – "You won't" well I'm glad she understood that because I sure as hell didn't mean 'we' and she lets go of my hand and it feels like goodbye and this will be, officially, the worst thing I have ever done but I'm going to do it because I just can't...I can't lose her. It's not an option.
It's not a choice. There is no other way. This is the only way. I have to.
"There is another way" – "What are you..." I bite into my wrist "Damon don't. Damon no" but I do. I force her to drink my blood. Again. And it's not...pleasant because she's fighting it but I don't care because she'll live and then Stefan comes and pushes me off her.
"What did you do?" – "I saved her life. You're so bent on dying at least this way I know you'll come back" – "As a vampire. She'll come back as a vampire" – "It's better than nothing else" – "Why would you, of all people, take choice away from her?" I...love Stefan. Only love. I can't...I can't live in a world where she doesn't exist.
"Go ahead, wish me an eternity of misery believe me, you'll get over it" I did, for the most part. Stefan throws me to the ground again and Elena shouts at him but I have no idea why. I grab the wooden base of my lamp and rush him against the wall. "Admit it, you just wish you had the balls to do it yourself" I let him get a few punches in for good measure, I hate myself right now too, until I decide I've had enough of that and plunge a wooden...something into his stomach.
"Get out of here" Elena shouts at me "Get him out of here" Ric tries to grab me but I shake him off and what I've done is beginning to catch up to me.
"Well it sounds like you won't be needing this anymore" right, Elijah and his damned fairy dust potion or whatever. "Both know that elixir wouldn't have worked anyway" – "The problem Damon, you talk a good game but you don't actually know anything. She'll never forgive you and never for a vampire...is a very long time" fuck you Elijah.
What does he know? But oh god he's probably right. What if he's right? How many times can I fuck things up before she gives up on me for good? I mean...she forgave me for killing her brother, right? But...killing her? Is that what I've done? I wanted to save her.
I don't even know is she wanted to be a vampire...ever, but, surely it would have happened at some point? It doesn't matter god I have to fix this. I have to fix this. Because once it's done it can't be undone and I can't...I can't live with her never forgiving me for this.
Okay breathe Damon, its okay. I've got time. Alcohol first. Then a plan.
Ric catches up to me at the Grill, he's one of the few humans either brave enough or stupid enough to be around me when I'm like this but I could probably use his help so it's not all bad.
"I screwed up" so fucking badly. "Yeah. Yeah you did" so how do I fix it?
"Gentlemen" who's this? "Why so glum?" – "Klaus I presume?" – "In the flesh" what does he want? "Any reason you stopped by to say hi?" – "I'm told you and your brother fancy my doppelganger" fuck you, she's not your anything "Just thought I'd remind you not to do anything you regret" ha, you're about half an hour late mate "Hah, thanks for the advice...I don't suppose I could talk you into a...postponement by any chance huh?" – "You are kidding...he is kidding right?" nope. Not at all. Hey it would solve...most of our problems. "No. Not really" Ric answers.
"I mean come on, what's one month in the whole grand scheme of things?" – "Let me be clear. I have my vampire, I have my werewolf. I have everything I need. The ritual will happen tonight. So if you want to live to see tomorrow, don't screw it up" if I can't fix what I've done then I'm not too sure I do want to live to see tomorrow anyway.
"You're gonna screw it up, aren't you?" ah Ric, he knows me so well. Yes, yes I am. "Think if I took his werewolf out of the equation she might...get over the fact that I tried to turn her into a vampire?" – "I think it won't matter because you'll be dead" – "But without the werewolf he can't perform the ritual tonight which means I would have bought her one more month before the next full moon" – "And you'll still be dead" So? She'll live. S'all that matters to me.
"You gonna help me or what?" – "What do you want me to do?" there's my buddy. Let me in to your house that's what I want you to do, it's time to pay another visit to Little Miss Katherine.
"Look who's dumb enough to come back" –"well somebody had to invite him in. Damon would like to uh...come in?" oh boy would I! "Are you trying to get me killed?" well not actively right this second Katherine, no. I wrap my hand around her neck and slam her into the wall.
"I gave you vervain and I'm here to collect" I tell Ric he can go "Get back to the house. Keep Elena from handing herself over" Katherine pushes me off her and wants to know what I'm doing here. "I need to know where Klaus is keeping his werewolf" – "Why? What are you gonna do?" kill it. Obviously. Don't ask redundant questions.
"No. No way" – "You should like this it's gonna buy you another month of your pathetic life" –"Right. Except that I'm not the vampire he's planning on sacrificing" Huh? What the hell is he keeping her around for then? She's not that much fun, trust me.
"Yeah he's got Caroline Forbes and Tyler Lockwood therefore I'm in the clear" oh god now I really need to stop this thing. Elena will be destroyed if Caroline dies too.
"What if I told you Elena had vampire blood in her system?" –"What?" yeah I thought that might do the trick. "Imagine how much fun that will be, competing with Elena for Stefan's love for, I dunno, forever" come on Katherine you know you want to tell me. 'Fess up. "The tomb. He's got them in the tomb" thanks love, time to go rescue Blondie.
"Which one are you trying to save?" hmm, yeah. I probably should've brought some backup. "The blonde? Or the wolf?" the blonde "Did you really think Klaus would leave them unprotected?" well a man can but hope "wishful thinking" I dart for him and take him down but of course he's a fucking witch.
God dammit my head, it hurts, so much. And then there's a shot and it stops. I snap his neck quickly just in case the bullet didn't do the trick and if it isn't Barbie's boyfriend Ken. At least I think he's her boyfriend, what the hell is he doing here? Did he follow me?
"Where's Caroline?" – "Listen man now is not a good time to play the hero" he points the gun at me "Where is she? And what'd he do to her?" he asks indicating Klaus's dead witch. "I'm just here to rescue her okay?" I'm getting closer...closer...and then I knock him out. "You're lucky I already screwed up once today or you'd be dead" yes even I, Damon Salvatore, have a limit on how many fuck ups I am allowed to make on any given day.
These bullets are wooden and Barbie has some serious explaining to do, at a later point. Right now though we just have to get her somewhere safe. "Damon?" well don't sound so surprised "your boyfriends outside with a rifle loaded with wooden bullets" – "What, Matt?" oh yeah that's his name.
"Shh. Tomorrow's problem. Let's get you out of here" and I break the chains, honestly she's a damn vampire how could she not break her own chains? Unless they were spelled by the witch before he died. That would makes sense I suppose.
"Wait Damon no. I'm not leaving without him" oh for god sake "it's getting dark soon. How fast can you get the hell away from here?" – "I need to get to my family's cellar. I can lock myself up" – "I'll help" Blondie pipes up. Fabulous. "Don't make me regret this" I say as I unchain Lockwolf as well.
But god it's dark and "it's starting" shit, man I knew this was a bad idea. "Grab boy wonder and let's go" before we all become wolf bait please. Stefan calls while we're walking through the woods. "Bad time little bro" – "what the hell are you doing?" – "saving the day. Figured you'd understand. Just tell Elena to stay put" – "She's already gone Damon" no "What?" no no "Klaus came. He took her" fucking god dammit all to hell. No. Okay. Wait. It'll be okay. "I'll take care of it" I got his wolf and his vampire. So all I have to do is get Elena back.
Aw man I do not have time for a transforming Tyler. And that looks...madly painful. I kinda feel sorry for the kid "I don't know if I can hold it off" well try dammit. "Get out of here. Go" uh yeah, I think that'd be a good idea. But I see the second he changes and loses focus and he's gonna go for Blondie so I grab him instead. Damn my impulsiveness.
And he's all thrashing and gnashing teeth which is...concerning and then. He bites me. Yep. Bit me. Fuck. My. Life.
I throw him off of me "Damon?" – "I'm fine" I tell her to get them to the cellar and give them some bullets. I have to find Elena. And I'm running. Can this day get any worse? Don't answer that. Please.
"I wasn't aware you'd been invited in" yeah well now you are dick. Where the hell is she? "I've come here to tell you that you have to postpone the ritual" – "Didn't we already have this conversation?" – "Yeah but that was before I rescued your werewolf and vampire and killed your witch" I no longer care that this will probably get me killed. Hell I'm gonna die anyway but I would quite like to see Elena one last time although she's definitely not here so it's probably not gonna happen.
"Excuse me?" oh you heard me "and you can kill me for it. I don't care. It was all me" – "Katerina give us a moment" probably gonna die now. At least if Katherine lives long enough to get out of here she'll maybe let Elena and Stefan know where I am.
"I've heard about you, the crazy impulsive vampire, in love with his brother's girl" ye-ep that'd be me all right. "I knew one of you would try to stop me. It was just a 50-50 guess on who" he presses a button on his computer and shrieking fills the room. What the hell is that? Oh fucking...it's Jules. He has another werewolf.
"First rule: always have a backup. Backup werewolf, backup witch" and let me guess "backup vampire?" – "I've got that covered too" and then all I see is darkness.
"Hey Damon. Hey. Damon" Elena? No, not Elena, what's going on? Katherine? "What the hell happened?" – "He's gone, he went to do the ritual. I'm sorry I had to" had to what?
Wow. That was no ordinary neck snap. I don't know what that was. And it seems like everything I've done has been in fucking vain because they've gone to do the damned ritual anyway.
"He would've known that I was on vervain if I didn't do it" what Katherine? "Do what?" just spit it out already. "He made me call her to lure her out. He needed another vampire" but he had you...and me.
"Who'd you call?" I do not like the way this night is going at all and there are only so many 'hers' I know of and even less that I actually care about. "Who did you call Katherine?" Jenna. Fucking. Katherine. Goddamn her. Not Jenna, Elena needs her. I'll go. He can use me.
"He should've used me" I'm dying anyway, difference does it make? "Why didn't he use me?" – "He couldn't Damon he said you were as good as dead" – "What does that even mean?" what does it matter if I'm dying, I'm still a fucking vampire!
"What is this Damon?" what the hell does it look like Katherine? "It's a werewolf bite" and I'll say it one last time.
I really should have stayed in fucking bed this morning.