Chapter Twenty-Four: End of an Era
Damon opened his eyes when he felt a cold towel wipe the sweat from his brow. When he opened his eyes he saw Elena there wiping his brow. She smiled at him. "You're awake. I wasn't sure when you were going to wake up."
Damon wanted to talk, to kiss her, to do something but his mouth and throat felt dry. Elena caught on quickly though. "Would you like some water?"
Damon nodded as Elena pressed a glass of water to his lips and Damon drank it feverishly. His entire body hurt, though he assumed that was expected since he had just been shot at. "Did the doctor remove the bullet?"
Elena nodded. "Dr. Mikaelson, Klaus' brother did the procedure. He said that everything went splendidly and that since you are young and healthy you should make a speedy recovery." Her voice broke and Damon could tell that she was about to cry.
He reached over and petted her cheek even though it hurt to move his body right now. "Why the tears?" he prompted.
"Because," Elena blubbered. "I put you in danger, I put myself in danger and this would never would have happened if I would have just listened to you. But I didn't. I ignored you and went to that stupid place and now you're hurt and it was all for nothing-"
Damon frowned. "So it's true then, Jeremy is dead?"
Elena nodded sadly. "He was killed over a gambling debt. He's been dead all this time and I've been trying to look for him all this time like an idiot."
"Hey," he squeezed her hand. "You are not an idiot, Elena. You were his older sister of course you wanted him to be safe. You thought with you heart instead of your head and everyone is guilty of doing that at least once."
Elena squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want to grieve anymore. She wanted to find peace. She wanted to find peace with Damon. "I'm just glad that you're safe," she whispered. "I would have never been able to live with myself if you would have died."
Damon smirked. "Well, then I'm glad that I didn't die. I would like to see my beautiful bride walking down the aisle in person and not as an angel."
"You tell her," Caroline hissed at Elena. "You were the one that was gone for so long. You probably worried her half to death."
"Why do I have to tell her?" Elena narrowed her eyes at Caroline and Katherine. "You two have caused enough trouble as well. Besides I am not the only one getting married. You two are as well, which is why all of us are quitting the saloon."
"Fine," Katherine said feeling irritated. "We will all tell her together. Honestly, you two are acting like Madam Pearl is a serial killer." She moved her bodice slightly as she urged the three girls to follow her towards the Madam who was silently writing letters.
Madam Pearl looked up from where she was writing. "Can I help you, girls?"
"Uh, yes," Caroline fiddled with her hands. She looked at the other girls who didn't say anything. Cowards. "We need to talk to you. Today is our last day at the saloon."
"Oh?" Madam Pearl raised an eyebrow. "May I ask why?"
"We are getting married," Katherine blurted out. "Caroline is marrying her Sherriff, Elena is marrying a rancher, and I'm marrying the doctor."
Madam Pearl smiled at them. "I see congratulations in your upcoming marriage."
Elena looked at her. "You don't seem surprise."
Madam Pearl smiled. "Well, I've meet a lot of young girls. I know what love is like. This just means the end of an era."
"Quit taking up all the space in the mirror, Caroline." Katherine snapped as she pushed the blond out of the way. "I need it." She fixed the soft, silk flowers on her chocolate brown curls. Caroline scowled at her she had been in the middle of putting some nice pink color on her lips.
"Katherine, I almost smudged pink on my dress," Caroline scolded her. She was wearing a wide, white wedding dress with small, silk flowers sewed into the bodice of the dress.
"Your dress is so big, no one would be able to see it," Katherine said as she readjusted her white sating gloves. Elena was waiting patiently for them to finish near the vanity. Her dress was a simple white with a long veil, but she was wearing an expensive pearl choker that Damon had given her as a last minute wedding gift.
Katherine's dress was a bit more complicated and had many little ribbons and small bouts of lace sewed into it. The three girls were going to get married in a wedding ceremony a month after they had told Madam Pearl that they going to get married.
They had been living at their fiancé's house even though there had been horrible whispers that they were unmarried and living in sin, but since they were former prostitutes they didn't have much honor anyway.
The three girls had decided to get married at the same time because of their close bond that they shared and the three of them had gone through so much together it made sense. The grooms had agreed and they were going to have a small reception at the Salvatore's ranch afterwards.
The large church bell started ringing and Elena stood up in a frenzy. "Girls!" she said. "It's time. We must not be late-"
"The brides are always late," Caroline said. "Come here, Elena." The three girls stood in a circle and Caroline motioned them to hold hands.
"A few months ago, all three of us arrived and we didn't know a single soul in this town and then we found ourselves in the prostituting business." Caroline smiled. "And look how far we've come now. All of us are going to be married. All of us are going to be happy. And all of us are going to be friends for a long time, I can just feel it. To our wedding and to our everlasting friendship."
-End of Chapter Twenty-Four-
I'm very sorry for not updating sooner, I've been feeling very sick lately. I apologize! Next chapter is the epilogue