Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline sit on the porch of the Salvatore house. The conversation is light, but Elena's expression grows contemplative as she swirls her drink.
Elena: You know, I've always wanted to get married… ever since we were kids. Remember how we used to dream about the perfect wedding?
Bonnie smiles softly, her head tilting in reminiscence.
Bonnie: Yeah… you used to say you wanted a spring wedding, lots of flowers. I wanted an autumn one, more dramatic.
Caroline grins.
Caroline: And I wanted the whole package—big venue, designer dress, the works. Guess not much has changed there.
The girls laugh, but Elena's smile fades as she gazes down at her drink.
Elena: With all the supernatural chaos, it's hard to imagine something so… normal, you know? But a part of me still wants that. The dream. A real future. A love that's not… complicated.
Bonnie nods in understanding, her hand resting on Elena's arm.
Bonnie: I get that. You've been through a lot.
Caroline frowns slightly, curiosity flickering across her face.
Caroline: If you're saying it's not Damon or Stefan, then… who is it? Who do you see yourself with?
The question lingers in the air, heavy with unspoken truths. Elena hesitates, her gaze distant as if she's picturing someone in her mind.
Elena: I know I've seen him in countless suits, but… I can't help but wonder what he'd look like waiting for me at the altar. He keeps that stoic face up, but somehow… you just know he couldn't on a day like that.
Bonnie's brow furrows slightly, understanding dawning, but Caroline blinks in surprise.
Caroline: Wait. Are you saying..?
Elena smiles faintly but doesn't answer, her silence confirming what her words could not.
Elena is sitting in a random room in the Salvatore house, doing her makeup. Caroline walks in to join her while looking at her phone.
Caroline: Okay, the boys are officially taken care of, bride and maid of honor are in hair and make-up. I'm gonna head to the venue and fix... whatever they're screwing up.
Elena is reaching for something and almost burns her hand on the curling iron that is sitting next to the sink. Caroline instantly panics and rushes to stop her.
Caroline: Elena, the curling iron!
Elena: Yes, I can see it, Care.
Caroline: Okay!
Elena: I'm human now, not blind. And I'm not fragile, either. You don't have to walk on eggshells around me.
Caroline: Uh, I do, actually. Because if you walked on them, they could cut you and you'd get infected and probably die.
Elena: …You know what? Given my luck, that actually seems possible.
They both giggle, Elena grabs a glass of champagne.
Caroline: So, what's it like now in the world of the living?
Elena: It's different, I'm slower, I have to look both ways before crossing the street..
She lets out a half-hearted laugh, but her expression turns somber.
Elena: But… if I'm being honest, it's frustrating. Annoying, even.
Caroline frowns, a bit confused by this.
Caroline: Annoying? I thought this was what you wanted.
Elena shakes her head and looks down.
Elena: I thought so too. Or maybe I just told myself it was. Looking back now, I think it was more about Damon. He wanted me to be human again, and I guess some part of me.. maybe it was the sire bond, maybe it was just me trying to please him- thought that was what I wanted too. But… I don't think I minded being a vampire, Care. There was something freeing about it, something… strong. Now? Now I feel fragile again. Vulnerable.
Caroline softens, wanting to reassure her friend.
Caroline: You're not fragile, Elena. You're still you, and you're still strong. Just… in a different way.
Elena looks up and Caroline with a bitter smile
Elena: Maybe. But think about it, Care. I'm back to being human. The doppelgänger, now with the cure running through my veins. You know what that means. Countless people will come after me again. Maybe even more now because of the cure. I'm a target all over again, and this time… I can't fight back. Not the way I could when I was a vampire.
Caroline nods slowly, concerned.
Caroline: I get it. But you're not alone. You have us. You have me, Bonnie, everyone-
Elena speaks softly as she interrupts.
Elena: I know. And I'm grateful, but… I'd rather die with a smile than spend the rest of my life running again.
She looks away, her voice trembling slightly.
Elena: Not like this. Not when I feel so… unfinished.
Caroline: Unfinished? What do you mean?"
Elena sighs deeply, leaning back.
Elena: There's so much I didn't do, Caroline. So many dreams I folded up and tucked away because there was always something.. Some crisis, some villain, some sacrifice. And now that I'm human again, I realize I didn't even choose this life. It was chosen for me, over and over again.
She hesitates, then a small smile tugs at her lips as she looks at Caroline with a hint of vulnerability.
Elena: You know, sometimes I find myself thinking about Elijah.
Caroline looks startled, making Elena's smile widen.
Caroline: Elijah?
Elena nods softly.
Elena: Yeah. I wonder what he's doing, where he is. He always had this… calm about him. Like no matter how chaotic everything got, he was always in control. I miss that. I miss him.
Curious, Caroline tilts her head.
Caroline: You miss him? Or you miss him?
Elena laughs softly.
Elena: I don't even know. But I do wonder… what he'd think if he saw me now. If he'd even care.
She trails off, her expression clouding as the weight of her regrets hangs in the air. Caroline pauses thinking back to the interactions between Elena and Elijah. Realizing now the connection between them that she missed the first time. She smiles at Elena and prepares to leave.
Caroline: Something tells me he would definitely care.. I gotta head to the venue.
Elena looks down at her hands, wondering if what Caroline said is true.
.
Elena stands in a quiet corner, looking out at the venue where Jo and Alaric's wedding is about to begin. Damon approaches, holding two glasses of champagne, and hands one to her. She takes it reluctantly, glancing at him.
Damon: Why so glum, Miss Gilbert? This is supposed to be a happy occasion. Weddings, champagne, love in the air.. you know, the usual fairytale stuff.
She half smiles as she still looks out at the venue
Elena: I guess I'm just… thinking.
He smirks, a little teasing.
Damon: Thinking? Dangerous pastime for you. What's on your mind?
She hesitates, then sighs.
Elena: You. Us. This cure.
Raising an eyebrow, he grins slightly.
Damon: You mean the cure that's going to give us our perfect, white picket fence human life? What about it?
She shakes her head, turning to face him.
Elena: That's the thing, Damon. I don't want that life. Not with you.
His grin falters, turning into a frown.
Damon: What are you talking about? That's what we've been working toward, right? Get the cure, live happily ever after, die together in matching rocking chairs or something equally nauseating?
She bites her lip and speaks firmly.
Elena: No. You've been working toward that. I just… went along with it. And now, the closer we get, the more I realize it's not what I want.
His voice tightens.
Damon: What are you saying, Elena? That you don't want me?
Elena: I'm saying I don't think you'd handle it. Being human again, I mean. I've seen you, Damon. The way you crave control, the thrill of danger, of being the strongest person in the room. Being human would strip all of that away from you.
He steps closer, his tone sharp.
Damon: You don't know that.
Elena: Don't I? You've spent years trying to outrun your humanity, Damon. Now you think you can just… settle down and play house? It's not who you are. And honestly, I don't think it's who I am anymore either.
Damon: So that's it? After everything we've been through, you're just… giving up on us?
Elena: Maybe it's not giving up. Maybe it's letting go of something that was never meant to last.
Damon opens his mouth to respond, but a burst of music signals the start of the wedding. He clenches his jaw, his frustration evident, but he doesn't say anything. Instead, he downs the rest of his champagne and walks off toward the ceremony. Elena watches him go, her expression conflicted. She takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself, but the weight of her thoughts lingers.
Bonnie approaches her from the side, her brow furrowed with concern. She doesn't say anything, but her eyes speak volumes, silently asking if Elena is okay.
Elena catches Bonnie's look and offers a soft, reassuring smile, though it doesn't quite reach her eyes. She shakes her head gently, as if to say, Not now.
Bonnie hesitates for a moment, her worry evident, but she nods and steps back to let Elena compose herself.
Elena straightens her shoulders, pushing her emotions down as she turns toward the ceremony. She walks gracefully to her place by Jo, her maid-of-honor duties pulling her focus away from the turmoil in her mind.
Jo glances at Elena with a warm, nervous smile, completely unaware of the tension lingering in the air. Elena forces herself to return the smile, taking Jo's bouquet for a moment to help adjust her veil.
Jo: How do I look?
Elena: Perfect. Just breathe.
Jo exhales shakily, her smile growing more genuine. Clearing his throat he speaks.
Reverend: Shall we begin?
The guests quiet down, and the ceremony begins. Alaric stands at the altar, his expression equal parts awe and joy as Jo walks down the aisle. The atmosphere is filled with love and anticipation, but Elena can't help glancing toward Damon in the crowd, her heart heavy with the weight of unspoken truths.
She quickly refocuses as Jo reaches the altar, handing the bouquet back to her friend and stepping aside to her place as the ceremony starts.
Alaric and Jo stand at the altar, their love and anticipation evident as Alaric begins his vows.
Alaric: Neither one of us should be here right now. We've spent our lives dodging fate and beating the odds.
Elena instinctively turns to Damon as Alaric speaks, expecting to find warmth and shared happiness in his expression. Instead, Damon looks at her with a frown, his earlier frustration from their heated conversation still etched across his face. Elena's chest tightens, and for a moment, everything else fades—the ceremony, the guests, even the promise of the moment. Her heart sinks as she feels the weight of her growing doubts.
This is Damon, she thinks bitterly. This is who he is, volatile, unpredictable, and not someone I can build a human life with. Maybe I've known it all along. Maybe that's why I've been pushing Stefan to help him see it too. She looks at Damon, searching for a flicker of the connection they once had, but instead, her mind drifts to the stability she craves. Not just stability, though. Passion, understanding, and the freedom to be who she really is. I miss being a vampire. I miss the life I had before. I miss… Elijah. The thought strikes her with unexpected force, and the truth settles heavily in her chest as she finally looks away.
Damon, oblivious to her turmoil, stares at her for a moment longer, the tension between them palpable. Elena forces herself to refocus on the ceremony, but her expression softens with resignation. Her path forward has never been clearer, and it's not with Damon.
Alaric: But, because we did, I got to meet you, the most beautiful, hilarious, and intimidatingly brilliant woman I have ever known. You inspire me. You've shown me that happiness is actually something that I can have in my life. And so…
He grabs the ring from Tyler
Alaric: I promise to be with you, and love you, and to dodge fate with you
He slides the ring onto Jo's finger
Alaric: for the rest of our lives.
Jo begins to cry, her love for Alaric shining through. The Mystic Falls gang, all taking in the moment, their reactions varied. Bonnie's warm and proud, Stefan's thoughtful, and Caroline's teary eyed. Damon glances at Elena again, but she keeps her gaze fixed ahead, her expression unreadable.
The reverend: Josette?
She laughs nervously.
Jo: Oh god, that's a tough act to follow.
The crowd laughs softly, breaking the solemnity.
Jo: Here it goes.. Alaric Saltzman, you are…
She stops suddenly, gasping loudly as her face contorts with pain. Her hands clutch at her stomach, and she stumbles slightly. Alaric becomes alarmed.
Alaric: Jo? Jo? Jo? Oh my god. Jo?
Blood begins to seep through the front of Jo's dress, spreading quickly. Gasps of horror ripple through the crowd as Jo collapses forward. Alaric catches her in his arms, his face twisting in anguish. He tries shaking her.
Alaric: No! Jo? Oh god, no!
Jo lets out a strangled cry as Alaric frantically holds her. The camera pans up to reveal Kai standing behind her, a bloody hunting knife in his hand, his face alight with sadistic glee.
Kai: I was gonna wait til the "death do us part" bit, but it seemed a little on the nose. Am I right?
The ceremony erupts into chaos. Alaric drops to his knees, clutching Jo's lifeless body. Guests scream and scramble as Joshua Parker charges toward Kai, but Kai raises his hand and conjures a high-pitched magical noise that incapacitates everyone. Liv, Tyler, Stefan, and Caroline fall to the ground, clutching their ears and crying out in pain. Glasses and windows shatter all around. Kai smirks.
Kai: Miss me? No? Oh well.
The magical noise forces them to the ground. Damon grimaces, his hands flying to his ears, but his eyes dart to Elena as she stumbles. Just as she falls, she hits her head on the stone floor with a sickening crack and goes still.
Damon: Elena!
He scrambles toward her, ignoring the chaos as he pulls her limp body into his lap. Blood trickles from her temple, and her breathing is faint. Damon's face twists in anguish, but Elena, even in her haze of semi-consciousness, registers his presence, and her thoughts are sharper than ever. I can't live this life with him anymore. Her hand weakly brushes her necklace, and she lets her eyes close, a faint memory of Elijah's calm, steady gaze filling her mind as darkness takes her.
Damon's devastated as he cradles Elena, while Kai grins at the destruction he's wrought. The scene fades into chaos, leaving behind Alaric's broken cries, Kai's laughter, and the sound of shattering glass.
AN: I finally got around to posting this. I do intend to finish my other stories, but started on this one to help get me back into writing, versus jumping right back into an incomplete story.. Especially when there's more than one. I plan to go back through my other stories and fix the grammar and such before posting chapter 2, so stay tuned! 3