Chapter One

Step, step right over the line

And onto borrowed time

When it's life, not waiting to die

Waiting to divide, to divide

The end is near

I feel it dear, but I'm not afraid.

Borrowed Time – A Fine Frenzy

"Stop!" Jeremy yelled.

Damon and Stefan looked up in surprise.

"You're hurting Elena, everything you're doing to her is hurting Elena."

Damon felt his stomach drop; he looked down at Katherine who was pinned beneath him, a stake protruding from her heart.

He shook her, praying that she wasn't…she couldn't be…not if it meant that Elena was…

"Katherine wake up. This isn't funny Katherine. Wake up. WAKE UP!" He yelled.

He couldn't form coherent thoughts.

"Oh my god." He whispered, aghast.

Stefan was staring at him, his face ashen.

Katherine was, without a doubt…dead.

"Bonnie took the spell off the room, you guys can leave." Jeremy said, refusing to believe that his sister wasn't going to be all right.

Damon raced out of the room with Stefan hot on his heels.

They ran like they had never before run, in their immortal lives. They followed the unmistakable sound of her heartbeat, usually strong and vital, now weak and sluggish. It was a sound they would both recognize anywhere, and as it faltered and skipped several beats they pushed themselves forward even faster. They reached the patch of trees close to the car park and soon Elena was in sight.

The brothers watched as she fell. They both moved forward but Damon was quicker and caught her before she hit the ground. He pulled her into his arms and sat against a tree, gently brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"Elena." He said urgently.

Stefan crouched down next to them; he took Elena's hand but didn't make a move to remove her from Damon's hold, much to his relief.

Her pale pink top was stained with large patches of red; the vampires could smell the intoxicating scent of blood as it filled the air. But in that moment a young woman's blood had never seemed less tempting, both of them ignored the instinctual desire to feed, purely focused on saving the girl in front of them.

Her eyes flickered open and focused on Damon's bright blue ones.

"Elena, you're going to be ok." Stefan said soothingly, he stroked her hand.

She turned to look at him and gave him a sad smile.

"You know I hate it when you lie to protect me." She said softly.

Stefan looked stricken.

"No, Elena, you're going to be fine." He said desperately.

Damon watched their conversation quietly, he could feel Elena's pulse weakening; he could feel her slipping away. He held onto her tighter, as if he could somehow anchor her to the world.

"Blood. Damon you have to give her blood." Stefan suddenly yelled.

"It won't work, you can't cheat a spell." Bonnie walked quickly up to them and gazed down at her friend in sadness.

Elena drew in a shuddering breath and Damon crushed her gently against his chest. Stefan tried to hide his jealousy; he wanted to be the one holding her. He didn't move, he knew that nothing he could do would make Damon let go of her.

"Don't be sad." Elena whispered, her voice was weak and rough; she had trouble enunciating the few words.

Stefan realized that he was crying, his cheeks were wet with tears.

"No, no, no." he moaned.

Elena looked at Stefan's distraught face and tried to tell him with her eyes all the things she wanted to say, like how he had to move on, had to keep going.

"Bonnie, do something. Help her!" Damon said desperately.

"I can't. It's too late." The witch replied sadly.

The brothers froze at her words.

Elena squeezed Stefan's hand and rested her head back against something warm. She realized that it was Damon's body, she could feel his arms encircling her; she relaxed into his comfortable embrace and let her eyes drift shut.

"Elena!" Damon said, panicking.

She looked up at him, she had thought that Stefan's face was distraught but Damon's was broken. The pain in his clear blue eyes was shocking; he looked like he was cracking, he was coming apart at the seams. His face was dry but his eyes were swimming with unshed tears.

He wanted to tell her how much he loved her, wanted to rain her face with kisses, but he couldn't. He couldn't be selfish with her, especially now. He gritted his teeth but couldn't stop his face from twisting in pain.

"It'll be ok." Elena whispered.

It hurt her to see him so sad.

He shook his head.

No it really wouldn't. She was dying, Elena was dying and it was his fault.

"Hey." She said softly.

He met her eyes.

"You're going to be ok." She whispered.

Using all her strength she reached up and touched his lips, something she had secretly been dying to do since she met him.

"You've got to keep going, you've got to stay good." She murmured.

A single tear slipped down his cheek.

"Promise me you'll keep going, you're so close."

He swallowed.

"I promise." He replied, his voice breaking.

She gave him a weak smile and he cupped her face in his hands.

"Don't leave me Elena, you can't leave me ok?" He said desperately.

She closed her eyes.

"I'll always be with you Damon, always."

Those were the last words she uttered as she died.

So what do you think? Should I continue?