Well, here is the finally chapter of this story! I can not express how thankful I am that you guys liked this story. This also started with me ranting about my feelings for someone and I didn't expect to turn it into a story. I hope you like the way this turned out, if you all hate I will do a rewrite. I've been really sick today writing this so please don't be too mean..Anyway enough of my ramblings. Enjoy reading xoxox.

Banners, streamers and balloons hung everywhere in the Mystic Grill. People Elena didn't even know were eating from the buffet of food and drinking from the free drinks at the bar. The music was loud and Elena's birthday presents were scattered around on numerous tables at the far back of the room. People flirted and danced wildly to the music on the dance floor which was illuminated by a very old disco ball. From an outsider's perspective the party was perfect but to Elena the party was almost perfect, it just lacked one thing: Damon Salvatore.

Currently Elena was sat in the back room away from the party, she just couldn't take it anymore. She twirled her finger around the glass's edge because she couldn't bring herself to drink one more glass of alcohol. Alcohol had always reminded her of Damon, he was always drinking away his problems and worries. Elena never failed to remember the times when she would walk in the Salvatore Boarding House and he would be sat or stood by the fireplace, a glass or shot of bourbon in his hands. The mere memory of him being there made her frown turn into the smile that she only ever saved for him.

Before Elena had gone into the back room to celebrate her birthday alone, Stefan had stayed with her ever since she had arrived and tried to make her happy but all Elena could think about was leaving to find Damon and to find Katherine for Stefan. The idea seemed more acceptable than just sitting here waiting an extra day to find their past lovers. Elena just wanted the pain to stop in her chest and she knew that Damon would stop it, that Damon would heal her in a way only he could.

The music in the party grew louder and louder causing Elena to want to wear earplugs just to make it stop. The music was so loud now that she could no longer hear the loud pointless chatter of the citizens of Mystic Falls. She could picture everyone in there having a good time and not worrying about having a hangover the following morning because they would have the person they loved with them. They would have that one thing that may take Elena a lifetime to find.

Elena placed her head on the table in front of her and closed her eyes wanting to drift off to another life where he was, where Damon was. She could picture him in a bar drinking his usual shot of bourbon as he eyed up the pretty female bartender. Damon was probably having the time of his life right now but all she wanted was to find him. He would still love her when she found him, he had to still love her. A love like theirs just didn't go away did it?

The door swung open and the loud music flowed in through making Elena officially hate the new loud music of today's generation. Slowly Elena lifted her head up off the table to see who would be coming to see her, she didn't even think no one had noticed her sneak into the back room of the Grill.

"You can't hide out here forever, you know." Stefan said with a smirk as he shut the door, blocking out the loud music.

"Nobody even noticed I left." Elena groaned at him.

Stefan pulled up a chair next to Elena that scraped against the floorboards making an awful squeaky noise that caused Elena to wince. Stefan muttered a 'sorry' before sitting down opposite her. Elena managed to pull her head from the table and sit up straight in her chair, trying not to look like a broken mess in front of Stefan. She had to remain strong that's the only way she could see the plan that her and Stefan shared through.

"Elena it's your 24th birthday, you need to celebrate it." Stefan said looking at her with his soft brown eyes that always seemed so tortured yet so innocent.

"I don't feel like celebrating, Stefan. The music is too loud and annoying, nobody cares if I'm there or not. I just want him back. I want Damon back. Why couldn't we go find them? You miss Katherine, why would you want to stay?" Elena asked Stefan raising her eyebrows questioningly.

Stefan didn't speak. He watched Elena's finger circle around the edge of the glass's rim before picking the glass up and drinking the entire contents. Elena coughed at the burning sensation the alcohol left in her throat before placing the glass back on the table.

"Damon wouldn't want you missing out on your birthday party, Elena." His voice was stern but still remained gentle as he didn't want to argue over something as silly as this. They needed each other until they found the people that they couldn't live without.

"Elena, you can't hide away." Stefan whispered looking at Elena, desperate for her to go onto the dance floor and enjoy her birthday.

Elena didn't even have a chance to respond or even try. For the second time that evening, the door opened but the loud music didn't echo through like it had with Stefan. In fact Elena couldn't even hear any music playing from inside of the Grill, all Elena could see through the doorway was people staring at something or someone like they had seen a ghost. Standing up slowly from the chair, Elena ignored Caroline to whatever she was saying with a lopsided grin on her face. Soon, Caroline pushed her towards the door and out into the waiting citizens of Mystic Falls.

The crowd stared at Elena, their eyes wide and waiting as she emerged from the back room. Elena tried to hide the confusion that was clearly displayed on her features but it was proven impossible to hide. Caroline was grinning wildly behind Elena and her hands were clasped together in enjoyment. Stefan gave Elena reassurance with a brief nod, his brows turning uneven as he inspected the people around him carefully. Elena could feel Stefan's hands edging closer towards her, getting ready to protect her if need be. Caroline's movement soon turned to skipping, her eyes full of life as always.

"Caroline if this is a birthday surprise…I'm really not in the mood." Elena warned her.

"Oh trust me, you will love this!" Caroline exclaimed loud enough for everyone to hear her. "Which only makes me sadder that I didn't come up with it." Caroline whispered to herself as her bottom lip turned into a pout but her excitement was like burning fire in her eyes and not even Elena's anti-birthday issues could extinguish the flame.

Caroline skipped off into the crowd when she seen Tyler and snaked a arm around his waist. Tyler grinned at Elena before planting a quick kiss on Caroline's pouting lips. Bonnie had bee stood next to them but quickly moved out of the way, a grimace etched upon her face. Bonnie had never liked the public display of affections even if she did it, she thought it was embarrassing. Jeremy chuckled at Bonnie before looking at Elena, a smirk upon his face.

Descending the corner of the parted crowd, Elena heard Caroline squeal behind her before Tyler told Caroline to be quiet. She responded with a playful punch on his shoulder but according to Tyler's face it left a mark. Bonnie and Jeremy nodded encouragingly to Elena, who's heart was beating wildly in her chest and her body thrived. Every nerve inside her was ignited like a beautiful fireworks display. Why her body was reacting like this Elena didn't know but for the first time in her life, she felt alive. Somehow Elena didn't feel like whatever was waiting for her was another birthday present. The feeling inside of her felt like it was something more, something stronger.

"Stefan what is it?" I asked, my voice barley audible as I looked up at Stefan with his dark Italian features.

"Enjoy the element of surprise, Elena." He said with a knowing grin.

Abruptly Stefan stopped moving and remained standing by her side. A sense of fear washed through Elena because she didn't want to face whatever she was about to face alone. She was worried and it was written loud and clear all over her face. Stefan noticed and mouthed the words 'you'll be fine' to her before gently pushing her forward. Elena stumbled forward and turned the corner to see what everyone had been so shocked yet so thrilled about.

Elena hands shook and her heart thumped loudly, perspiration formed on her head as she came to a door. The door was small and Elena had never noticed it's existence until now. Elena raised her hand that still shook for unknown reasons as she turned the brass door knob in her hand. The door swung open and all Elena could see was darkness. Nervous to what awaited her inside Elena walked into the room and without warning the door shut behind her. Her hands roamed the door until she found the light switch and flicked it on.

Elena's eyes wandered around the room until they rested on something that she hadn't seen in years, someone she had loved dearly. Nothing could have prepared Elena to what she was seeing, nothing. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, trying to convince herself that was all a dream as her breathing hitched in her throat.

A few minutes passed before Elena opened her eyes and still he was stood there, staring at her like it had been over a hundred years since their last meeting but Elena knew her eyes reflected the same gaze. Even if it had only been a few years since they had last met, it truly felt like a lifetime. In all that time his raven black hair hadn't changed since and neither had his blue eyes which still caused her body to shiver and sparks fly around the room. He wore a black crisp leather jacket and a black buttoned up shirt that clung to him, highlighting his perfectly toned body. It had been years since she had seen him yet he was standing there in front of her with no residing change within him. He was still the man that Elena had fell in love with. He was still the man she loved with all her heart and soul. He was still Damon Salvatore.

"Damon." Elena breathed shaking her head in disbelief, the tears fighting their way through her invisible barrier and falling down her face.

"Elena." He whispered moving towards her slowly his hand stretched out towards her.

Elena's breathing was rapid in her chest now and her hands were shaking harder and faster than they ever had before. She still couldn't believe that he was real and standing there in front of her. The idea was too good, too perfect, too easy. Damon couldn't be standing there before her just like she had wished, no it was physically in possible. He couldn't be there after everything they had been through together because she had never gave him a reason to comeback, this had to be some weird twisted dream she thought to herself.

Damon took the reminder of steps towards her and his hand moved up to gently cradled her cheek. Elena's body lighted up with fire from where he touched her and Elena closed her eyes, making sure she could remember everything about the way his hand felt on her skin. The way his hand felt as he drew patterns with his fingertips across her silky skin. Damon's hand slowly moved up towards her eyes and gently brushed each tear away before both of his hands curled around the back of her head.

"It's you." She whispered, pressing her forehead against his.

Damon smiled faintly and gave her a brief nod before intertwining his hands through her hair, making sure she was as close to him as possible. Elena opened her eyes again to see his blue eyes staring back at her with so much love and desire that Elena could feel her heart melt, she hadn't felt like this in so long. Elena had forgot what it was like to be held close, to share intimate touches with Damon.

"How are you here?" She whispered as her arms crept around his neck causing their noses to touch.

"Every year on the day before your birthday, I drive around this area and try to persuade myself to come back to you but I have never had the guts to do it. Every year I brought you a present then this year I gave into to my feelings for you. I came back for you, Elena." His voice broke at the end of his speech and all Damon wanted to do was to keep touching just to know she was really there. Damon's left hand slowly moved from her hair down to her waist making a trail that left Elena tingling with desire. His hand curled around her back and pushed her forward using the small of her back as a force. Elena sighed happily at how close they were.

"God I missed you so much, Elena. Nothing has changed for me. Nothing. It's still you. I still love you." He spoke the words with so much confidence, love and ease that Elena did not doubt him and when Damon twisted his head to kiss her, Elena stopped him. She knew that she had to tell him what she felt in return before they could go any further.

"I'm glad to hear you say that because I love you-"

"I know, I read the letters you wrote to me." Damon interrupted her and a smile spread across her face.

"I hoped that you would but Damon please know this I love you. It's you that I want and always will. I need you, Damon. Even when I was with Stefan, you always pulled me in and I'm sorry it took me till now to realise but you need to know one thing: It's always been you. It's always been you." She repeated making sure that he knew she had always loved him even when she had lied by telling him she hated him.

Not needing anything else to be said, Damon softly pressed his lips against hers. Within seconds the kiss had become passionate and overwhelming, both of them relishing in the body contact that they had missed off each other in their years apart. Damon desperately held onto Elena never wanting to let her go ever again. Elena shared the same feeling as she grasped his hair, trying to be as close as humanly possible.

Eventually they pulled away from each other and neither could hide the pure joy they felt from being reunited. Elena rested her head against Damon's chest and he gently stroked her hair, memorising the velvet feel.

"Elena I will never leave you again. I promised you that before and broke it. I refuse to make it a second time. I can't live without you and I will spend the rest of eternity proving that to you, okay? I want you to catch me up on every little thing that has happened in my absence. I can't wait to spend the rest of eternity with you." He murmured against her hair, a smile on his lip at thought of him and Elena having an eternity together, a life together with no worries.

No words could describe how happy and how content Elena was to have Damon back in her arms, they were finally together. After everything, here they were back in each other's arm. It was the best birthday present she could have gotten. When she had said they always survived, she had been right and when Lexi had spoke the truth once, when she had told Elena that when it's real you can't walk away. Despite everything in their past they had made it, they had finally made it. Everything was just a memory. Her and Damon had their rest of their lives with no vampires, no ex lovers or any other things that would stand in their way. It was just them for the rest of eternity.

It was just them forever and always.

So what did you think? Sorry for any mistakes I really am. I'm going to write a spin off of this story where Stefan goes to find Katherine and their little reunion because Stefan deserve his happy ending too. Don't forget follow me on Twitter, my username is FlyingFireworks. I think this was the longest chapter I wrote for this story. I hope it wasn't too long. Please review. Love MidnightGirl467 xXx