Damn…I suck. Bad. It's been way too long. I really didn't mean to, but spring is always really busy for me, and the show was gone for so long…and my inspiration is f'ing dead. Really. Not many substantial D/E bones have been thrown in our direction at all this season. I barely knew what to do with this final chapter, so excuse me if it's off. I'm having trouble getting back into rhythm. Plus, it's very odd writing back somewhere in season 1. No Klaus or Katherine to figure in. Nevertheless, off we go for the final time.

Chapter 18: Everything

… … …

You calm the storms

And you give me rest

You hold me in your hands

You won't let me fall

You steal my heart

And take my breath away

Would you take me in?

Take me deeper now

Would you tell me how could it be

Any better than this?

… … …

Previously:

… Elena's face crumpled, and she tucked her face against his broad chest.

"I thought you were dead," she whispered, her lips brushing against the worn fabric of his shirt.

"So did I," he murmured, resting his cheek atop her head and trailing his hands up and down her back. "So did I."

…"They all jumped on me and bit wherever they could get their teeth on. I was bleeding pretty badly. I thought I was a goner. That's when it got really strange. Every single wolf that had bitten me, which was every single one there, started backing off – they grew weaker and weaker. The first one that bit me was the first one that died. They all started dropping like flies, and before I knew it I was surrounded by a pack of dead wolves. Just like the one that died after biting you. When my wounds finally healed enough for me to get up, I started walking back."

… … …

"Yeah, Jenna, that's really great news! When did you say we could move in?" Elena ran a hand through her hair, happy to listen to her aunt enthusiastically describing the little house she'd just bought for them. "Next Sunday? That's really soon. The weather reporter said he doesn't expect the snow apocalypse to be over by then, so me and Jer can help with the moving process." Elena listened to her aunt's relieved response, and agreed with her incredulity over the school hiatus. "I know! We've never been out for this long. We'll probably still be in school in July, at this rate." There was a pause. "Oh, you have to go talk to the moving truck people? Talk to you later then, Jenna. Love you." Elena sighed as she heard the line go dead at the other end. She glanced out the window, watching a small SUV struggle to navigate the icy roads. Her mind flashed back to Asheville, and she groaned, wondering whatever had become of her stolen car. She closed her eyes and shook her head, pushing that thought away to the back of her mind, vowing to think about it another day.

Elena suddenly became hyperaware of her surroundings, getting that tingly feeling she only felt when she was around-

"Boo." She felt two strong arms snake around her torso, pulling her into a very lean, muscular chest.

"Casper the Friendly Ghost impersonations don't suit you, Damon," Elena chastised as she smiled and turned her head into his shoulder.

"Like you could do any better," he said acidly into her hair.

"So I take it you're feeling better?" she asked, thinking back to how quickly he had fallen into an almost comatose sleep last night.

"Much," he assured her, kissing her temple.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt the love fest here, guys, but I think I might I have some answers as to why the wolves that bit you died."

Damon sighed impatiently. "Ric. Lovely to see your scruffy face again. Have a seat, why don't you?"

Ric rolled his eyes and sank down into an overstuffed armchair. Damon disentangled himself from Elena, grabbing her hand and lead her with him to the couch opposite Alaric's chair.

"Alright. Out with it, Buffy 2.0."

Ric sighed. "I know this is going to sound a little hokey - okay, a lot hokey - but I've been digging deeper into this shapeshifter research, and I found an urban legend."

Damon's eyes narrowed and shifted. "So let me get this straight: You found an urban legend that may or not be true about another urban legend which happens to be real but also happened to die after biting two different types of mythological creatures which aren't really mythological at all but are in fact very real?"

Ric shot Damon a wry look. "Well when you put it that way…but yeah, that pretty much sums it up.

"The thing is, there was one particular account where a vampire couple was hunted and bitten by a pack of shapeshifters. They didn't die, but the wolves did. Stymied, they consulted their friendly neighborhood witch, who was very well educated on all things…folkloric. She did some witchy spell – a medical autopsy of sorts – on the wolf bites, and said that the reason the demons died after biting the two of them was because they had been 'poisoned by the blood of one who has found their soul mate.' She said that their blood had been tainted by the fact that they had found their 'soul mate' or 'twin flame' within each other, and true love, being the absolute opposite of evil, was too much for the demons to handle. Thus, they bit the dust. I don't entirely believe that that's even a plausible explanation, but it's the only one we've got."

Elena's eyes clashed immediately with Damon's, but her words were directed at Ric. "So you're saying that the reason that the wolves died after biting us was because Damon and I are…soul mates?" Her voice rose skeptically at the end of her question.

"That's got to be one of the most ridiculously romantic pieces of shit I've ever heard," Damon drawled, his eyes flashing. "Thanks for trying, Ric, but I guess we'll never have a cold hard explanation of what's happened here."

Ric shrugged, rising to make his exit. He didn't really want to stick around to watch the tension between the couple unfold. "I'll just...show myself out. Later."

"Thanks, Ric," Elena called softly to his retreating back, her eyes not leaving Damon. After a minute or two of heavy silence, she spoke. "Soul mates, huh? What do you make of that?"

He waited a moment before replying in a low voice. "I don't know what I believe. But that's the only explanation we have. And if you ask me, I wouldn't say it's entirely ludicrous." He reached up to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear, his fingers grazing her cheekbone.

Elena almost smiled at the unspoken confession in his answer. At his touch, she felt a deep, resonating warmth spread from her chest outward. "Not ludicrous at all," she agreed, scooting forward and curling into his chest. As she leaned her face into his neck, she caught a glimpse of the lightly falling snow. Snow that had begun her new life; her new world: her world with Damon. Because she had finally followed their hearts – hers and his - and chosen him, not because someone needed to, but because she wanted to – just once.

… … …

*Coughs* Well that was unmercifully corny. I'm sorry this chapter was ridiculously short, but I didn't want to drag you guys along after I felt like it should've ended, and quite honestly, I'm flat out of juice for this story. I apologize many times over to all of you loyal followers, and I hope to make it up to you by coming up with something new…and more inspired. I know it's way too much to ask, but could you all please do me a tremendous favor and let this story go out with at least a mighty whimper by leaving one final review? I still love you guys SO much, even if I didn't show it by posting regularly. I'm grateful to you all, and until next we meet, I must bid you adieu.