a/n: I hope everyone enjoys the epilogue. I have a one-shot story that will hopefully go up later this week, and an idea for a fic that I may start. Feel free to follow me on twitter. The more people who read my fictions that follow me, the more I'll talk about them and give hints. My username is: rachel_(underscore again)leann
I've had an amazing ride with this story, and deeply enjoyed writing. So, here it goes:

Chapter 24 Something Close to an Ending

Oh simple thing where have you gone?
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on.
So tell me when you're gonna let me in.
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin.
-Somewhere Only We Know by Keane

Elena blinked and took in her surroundings. Her head pounded, and she had to open and close her eyes a couple of times before she could keep them open. Then she pushed herself onto her elbows and surveyed the scene.

She was in the clearing again. From her current position, the only person she could see was Bonnie. As fear clung to her body, Elena stood up and rushed over to her friend.

"Bonnie," Elena called as she sunk back down to her knees. She protectively placed Bonnie's head in her lap. "What happened?"

Bonnie's eyes fluttered open and finally focused on Elena. "I was the last one to go through," Bonnie spoke quietly. "All the hybrids went through Elena. Even Greta…" She trailed off as sat up. Her eyes darted to the area around her. "We're alive?"

"It appears so," Elena nodded. Personally, Elena didn't want to deal with what those words meant. The clearing was bare besides the pair of them. She wasn't sure what would happen if they were the only two who survived.

But then a soft breeze caressed her skin. She glanced toward the stone slab, and saw Emily sitting on it.

"Hello," she spoke softly. Her eyes were focused on Bonnie and Elena. "I know you have many questions, and soon they will be answered." She stood up and walked toward them. Her form was translucent, and Elena could see the stone through her as she moved toward them.

"Klaus is dead," she continued as she neared the girls. She sat down on the earth so she was even with them. "Or at least as dead as he can be. He will never bother you again."

"Thank you," Bonnie nodded.

"What about the others?" Elena asked. "Are they dead too?"

"The hybrids are," Emily replied. "As is his witch. Her actions required punishment."

"But what about our friends," Bonnie questioned. "Are they alive?"

"You knew the conditions of Klaus' death coming in here," Emily spoke slowly. "You knew that to kill him, you had to sacrifice the one you loved. But…" she let out a deep breath, even though Elena knew she didn't have to breathe. "We've spoken. And in we, I mean me along with the other witches. The sacrifice you had to make, to sacrifice him along with your other friends, did not go unnoticed. And, as a reward for your commitment to stop evil, we have brought everyone back. Even Jeremy and Matt."

Elena felt the tears of joy bunch up in the corners of her eyes. She reached out and took Bonnie's hands into her own as a smile crossed her face. But her happiness was short-lived.

"If they're alive," she began. "Then where are they?"

"Asleep in their homes," Emily replied. "And any wounds they had were healed."

"Then why are we still here?" Bonnie spoke up.

"I had to talk to you first." Emily's eyes wandered to the trees around them. She seemed to be debating what to say. "You involved them in your quest to destroy Klaus… They know what happens in this world. The death of a hybrid will be something that will draw attention from unwanted sources. And they will come, after you Elena, because you are the human who has yet to be killed."

"You mean Misao?" Elena questioned.

"You will know in time," Emily nodded. "Just be prepared."

Then, Emily vanished and left Bonnie and Elena alone in the clearing.

"That was weird," Bonnie said before she looked to Elena.

"Insanely," Elena responded. A feeling of dread had risen up within her body, but she pushed it down. They had won. Now, it was time to celebrate. "Let's go see the others."

The majority of the day everyone had slept, but now that darkness reigned, everyone was ready to celebrate. Everyone moved around the room at the Salvatore Manor with smiles plastered across their faces. After speaking to several different people, Elena left the living room and moved toward the staircase where Damon stood.

"You've really outdone yourself," Elena remarked as she looked at the smiling faces of all of her friends.

"We defeated something we were told couldn't be killed," Damon shrugged. "We deserved a party."

"Move out of the way!" Tyler called as he created a dance floor in the center of the living room. He ran over to the laptop that was connected to the room's speakers with a grin playing across his lips. "Everyone has to dance to this."

Elena laughed as she heard the sounds of Party Rock Anthem engulf the room. Tyler didn't hesitate to move onto the dance floor. He performed the Running Man before moving into a flawless Pin Drop.

"What is everyone waiting for?" Tyler called to the crowd. A laughing Caroline pulled Matt onto the dance floor. Bonnie and Jeremy weren't far behind, although the look on Jeremy's face revealed that he thought everyone was crazy. Even Alaric jumped in and produced some of the worst dance moves Elena had ever seen. Only Katherine and Stefan hung back.

"What about you, Damon?" Elena asked as she offered him her hand. "Will you dance with me?"

A smile crossed his lips as he followed her to the dance floor. With twirls and laughter Elena and Damon moved across the room. It felt good to be there. It was like the calm after the storm, and right now, everyone felt absolutely alive.

They danced the majority of the night. Only when it was close to the midnight did Elena step outside into the thin moonlight.

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" Stefan spoke as he moved beside her.

"It is," Elena replied. Her eyes watched him warily. "How are you doing?"

"It's hard," he smiled. "Drinking small amounts of your blood helped, but I still lost myself at times." He became quiet for a few moments. "I thought you were going to die."

"I thought we all were going to," she laughed weakly.

"And you and Damon are together now?"

"We haven't officially talked about it," Elena admitted. "But I think so."

Stefan only nodded.

"So what are you going to do now?" Her brown eyes searched him for answers.

"Katherine wants me to go somewhere with her," he shrugged. "I need to leave here for a while and get myself together again." He paused. "But whatever happens Elena, I want you to know that I'll always love you, and I'll always protect you."

"I'm sorry it turned out this way," Elena said softly. "I never meant to hurt you."

"It was bound to happen sometime," he replied before he offered her a weak smile. "I'm going to go tell Katherine I'll leave with her."

"Good luck," Elena smiled. "And be careful."

"Oh, I will."

Elena watched him walk back inside. Her heart ached a little over their parting, but she knew it would be for the best. They both had things they needed to figure out.

She was just about to head back inside when she caught movement in the yard. When she saw who was there, she froze.

"I know you don't want to speak to me, Elena, but I do owe you an apology," Elijah spoke calmly as he moved into view.

"I thought Klaus had killed you," was all she said in response.

"He did." He closed the distance between them and walked up the stairs onto the porch where she stood. "Emily freed me, along with my family, after Klaus died."

"So you found them?"

"I woke up right beside them," he smiled. "He had kept those bodies close by all our lives and I never knew."

"I'm glad for you," Elena spoke, but she crossed her arms over her chest anyway.

"I truly am sorry, Elena." Elijah kept contact with her brown eyes. "I love them too much. I was afraid I would lose them if Klaus died then."

"I know," Elena nodded before she raked a hand through her long hair. "I would have done the same for anyone in this house."

"It does look like quite the party."

"Then come in." After everything that had happened during the past few days, Elena was too tired to hold a grudge. And if Elijah had wanted to hurt her, he could have the second she was alone.

Elijah laughed. "I'm going to go, Elena. It's time for me to get to know my family again." He reached into his pocket and produced the dagger that had once held him captive. "This is for you, in case one of my family members becomes crazy, and I'm too blind to see it."

"Thank you." Elena took the dagger and held it delicately in her hands. "I wish you luck, Elijah."

"I hope the same for you as well," he nodded.

Then, in a blur of movement, he disappeared.

"Are you talking to yourself, Elena?" Damon asked as he moved outside.

"I just had a meeting with Elijah," Elena replied as she held up the dagger. "Apparently, he wanted to mend things."

"Well," was all Damon said before he moved beside Elena. He took her free hand gently in his own and brought it to his mouth. He placed a soft kiss there before letting it fall. "Are you ready to go back inside?"

"Of course," Elena smiled. She reached up and kissed Damon lightly on the lips. "Let's go."

Elena couldn't stop smiling as Damon pulled her back inside. When she took one last glance back outside, she thought she saw a glimpse of black hair.

But when she was inside, Caroline held up a glass and was toasting, so Elena forgot all about the strange sight.

"To those of us who survived," Caroline spoke as she raised her glass in the air. "May the villains ever stay away."

a/n: I hope you enjoyed this! And reviews are always welcome. =)