Chapter 28

Well here it is, after nearly 6 months – it's the last chapter. Hope nobody was too mad at me for the end of the last one. Anyway, on with the show, I'll leave another note at the end so you can get straight to the action. I don't own anything except the plot.

A thick, funereal silence settled across the group as they gazed in horror at Elena lying lifeless in Damon's arms. Stefan took a step forward, his heart shattering in his chest like one of the fallen crystals but he stopped short of dropping at Elena's side when he really looked closely at Damon's face. His brother was still talking softly into Elena's ear, brushing his nose against her cheek as if the contact could somehow wake her. But it didn't and a tear spilled from his eye before he reared back and unleashed a wordless roar of despair towards the ceiling. Stefan had never seen his brother in such desolation. Not through all their misadventures had he seen Damon so unbearably broken under his grief. Not with Katherine or any time since. His pain was palpable. Without really noticing what he was doing, Stefan began to draw closer again and he sunk to his knees, his hand coming to rest on his brother's shoulder.

If Damon was aware of the gesture, he did not show it but he didn't pull away either and both brothers looked at Elena's peaceful face with devastation in their eyes. All at once Damon felt a sudden, stark rush of memories burn through him, Elena shining brightly in every one. He remembered the first time he saw her, bright and full of life that late night in the forest when she was still a stranger and then a time on a different road when he had pulled her half dead from a mangled car, adoring the weight of her collapsing into his arms. He remembered the first time that he tried to kiss her, when he thought she had been compelled, receiving a vicious slap in the process and then he remembered the way she had rushed at him both in Denver and in the hotel room the previous night, desperate for his embrace. He remembered the first time that he visited her house with Caroline and he had followed her to the kitchen to torment her, but she had still spoken kindly to him and it had felt like the first compassionate words he had heard for an age. Then he also remembered the furious barbs she directed at him when he broke her brother's neck. And that was just the beginning. Every tentative look and every sizzling touch flitted through his head. They had circled the entire globe of emotions from suspicion and hatred to friendship, lust and finally love. They had been enemies, friends, confidantes and lovers, they had been everything to each other. So many wonderful, jarring memories clashing together in a symphony of fulfilment. To think that this moment now might be the last was too huge an emotion for Damon to even begin to experience.

Slowly Bonnie began to drift towards them from where she had been standing next to Katherine, her head shaking in disbelief and tears running freely down her face. A sob worked up into her throat as she too knelt next to Elena, her best friend, the friend who had been there for her for as long as she could remember. She recalled the last few weeks and how she had avoided them all when they really needed her. It had all been to keep them safe, to keep Klaus as far from them as possible but Elena had died not knowing that. A fresh surge of grief claimed Bonnie as she thought of what Elena's last thoughts of her must be and with another sob she reached forward and clasped her friend's hand wretchedly.

The suddenly Bonnie felt something.

Bonnie's power responded to life, reacted to the vital force that coursed through every living thing ... but Elena was dead. Technically, even in her vampire state she had been dead. There was no way that Bonnie should have been able to feel a light, pulse of energy, vibrating under her touch like a bird's heart.

But she did.

Immediately, Bonnie dropped Elena's hand and looked up towards Stefan and Damon, her eyes wide with astonishment and a flicker of cautious excitement.

'Something's strange', she breathed, afraid to let herself believe that there might be any kind of chance for her friend. Stefan looked at her with painful sympathy and shook his head sadly.

'No, Bonnie, it's over. Don't torture yourself', he replied quietly. 'It's over.'

'No', Damon suddenly snarled, finally seeming sensible of his brother's presence and shrugging his hand off his shoulder. 'It can't be over', he continued adamantly and then he was looking directly at Bonnie, his eyes glistening like sapphires. 'What do you feel, what can you do?' Bonnie looked helplessly at him for a moment, then she forced her brain into motion.

'Lie her down', Bonnie suddenly instructed, desperately trying not to allow her thundering heart to allow entry to the yearning that was pressing steadily against it. If possible, Damon's face looked even more distraught as her words plagued him once more with hope. Gently he lay Elena flat on the floor and slid back a little from her, letting his hands cradle her face until the last possible moment, as if she might turn to dust when he let go. Stefan hovered over his brother's shoulder and watched with similar anticipation.

Bonnie scooted closer to Elena and took her hands again. Her stomach jolted with relief as she realised that she could still feel it - the slight buzzing , like an electric tingle that communicated directly with the magical side of Bonnie's soul. She concentrated as hard as she could on the sensation and slowly she began to recognise recognition began to dawn. Suddenly her head flew up urgently.

'It's magic', she gasped. 'That's what I can feel, it's like a spell or ... like the residue of a spell is still clinging to her', she tried to explain but her voice was confused.

'So what does that mean?' Damon insisted, his whole body twitching with impatience. Bonnie continued to look bewildered, her mind racing for answers.

'The link?' she asked uncertainly, twisting to look at Katherine who still stood, surveying the scene with a dull expression of amazement that seemed to have rooted her to the spot. 'Is there still any connection?' she begged but Katherine slowly shook her head.

'None. The ritual was complete. The link was closed', she replied regretfully, her face impossible to read but her voice quiet and tremulous, with a sincerity that neither Stefan nor Damon had heard before. Bonnie turned back to Elena and smoothed a strand of hair from her friend's face, allowing the force that surrounded the dead vampire to flow up her arm and across her body. Then suddenly her eyes lit up and a smile tugged at her lips.

'Of course', she suddenly breathed. 'That's it, it all makes sense.' Then, with a renewed vigour, she reached eagerly for the stake that was still skewering Elena's heart. Stefan and Damon both let out wordless cries of alarm and lunged forward to stop her, but, before they could, she had taken a steady grip and wrenched the stake from Elena's chest. All of a sudden there was a deep but invisible pulse of energy that centred on Elena and rippled out across the rest of them, freezing them where they stood, transfixed by penetrating beat. The room seemed to take a deep breath and each one of them was ensnared in the hopeful pause. For a moment nothing happened and the world seemed to stop turning, the silence becoming so thick that it was suffocating . Then suddenly Elena's eyes flew open and she gasped, a violent, inverse scream as she sat bolt upright.

Everyone jumped in unison, startled by her sudden action then they became still again, utter amazement stealing away all capability for reaction. The sight of her moving was almost too much for Damon to bear. It couldn't be true, there was no way that something this stupendous could ever happen to him. Elena looked herself up and down, just in time to see the wound on chest closing over, melting away to nothing and that ragged, rapidly diminishing gash was enough to bring the events of the last few minutes blazing to the front of her mind. She snapped her head up towards Damon and met his wide, tear filled eyes. He wanted to move, wanted to touch her but his body wouldn't obey, just in case this illusion should shatter before him. The look on his face almost broke her heart all over again.

'Wow', Elena breathed faintly. 'I guess I did manage to prove how much I love you', and her mouth flickered with the beginnings of a hesitant smile. A fierce, shaky breath that Damon was not aware he had been holding rushed out of him and suddenly he could make his limbs move. He burst forward and before she knew it she was in his arms again, stroking him and soothing him as he released the built up mixture of grief, sorrow and relief in a single groan. He peppered her face with desperate kisses that were both an agony and a joy and then finally he reached her lips. Those wonderful lips that he had though were lost to him forever. Then finally he pulled back, taking her face gently in his hands and looking deep into her eyes.

'You did', he agreed, his face so full of wonder that he could have been a child again. 'And if you ever do that again, I will kill you myself', he joked shakily. Dizzy with relief, a burst of laughter escaped Elena and he briefly enfolded her in his arms again. When she drew back a moment later, Damon seemed to have regained his composure and the wild happiness that thrummed through him was only evident in his shining eyes. She could have looked into his eyes forever at that point. They looked utterly content, complete. However suddenly she heard her name behind her, the voice wavering and uncertain. She turned in the circle of Damon's arms and saw Bonnie at her back. Her hands were covering her tear streaked cheeks and her eyes were beseeching, begging Elena to give her the chance to explain her apparent desertion. However, Elena didn't give her that chance. No explanation was necessary. She broke out of Damon's grip and threw her arms around Bonnie, pulling her friend into a fierce hug.

'I'm sorry', Bonnie sobbed into Elena's shoudler. 'They made me do it. Klaus got to me before your transition. He threatened to kill Jeremy and Tyler unless I helped and I couldn't use my powers on them so I had to do what they wanted. I thought if I kept away from you then they couldn't force any more information out of me', she rambled, barely coherent but Elena had known Bonnie for so long that she understood perfectly. 'Of course then Caroline came along and told them everything', Bonnie's eyes became sad again. 'They kept me away from her, I couldn't warn her', she blurted out. 'When Rebekah told me that she was bringing me here as her 'secret weapon' I just hoped ... hoped that maybe you would be able to get me away from her. And you did ... you did ...'

'Shhhh, Bonnie', Elena soothed her friend, tightening her hold on her comfortingly. 'It's forgotten, water under the bridge.' And between such old friends, that was all the apology necessary to restore their relationship to its previous strength. As Elena held Bonnie, she looked over her shoulder and could see Stefan still kneeling in exactly the same spot, he hadn't moved since she awoke. She caught his eye and held his gaze for a moment. There was still a melancholy in the crease of his brow but in his look she saw relief, as though he had been released from something that had been weighing him down for years. She smiled tentatively at him and, even though it did not reach his lips, she thought she saw reciprocation in his deep, dark eyes. As contentment began to sweep through her, she stroked Bonnie's hair again and whispered, 'it's all right. Everything's going to be all right.'

'But how?' Stefan's voice suddenly broke free. 'I mean, what did you do Bonnie?' Bonnie pulled back from Elena finally and a smile spread across her face as her sobs subsided.

'I didn't do anything', she replied with a teary laugh. 'It was Matt.' She watched with satisfaction as everyone's eyes widened. Elena felt a rush of alarm as she realised that she couldn't see Matt anymore, but Bonnie thwarted the cry that was forming on her lips by clamping her hand on Elena's wrist.

'It was the spell', she explained softly. 'That was what I could feel still buzzing around you. If it was nothing to do with the doppelganger link then the only other magic that you've been exposed to recently is ...'

'The link with Matt', Damon finished for her, his eyes filling with understanding. Bonnie nodded with a sage smile.

'But ... I thought if one of them died ...' Stefan began gingerly, afraid to finish the sentence. Bonnie laughed.

'I didn't feel death in the spell', she reported. 'All I could feel was life, it was bursting with life. I think when Elena and Alaric died and the spell snapped back, binding onto Matt ... well ... I think the spell flipped. Maybe it was the recoil of such strong magic or maybe it was affected by the benevolence of Elena putting Matt's life before her own in the car that night. But I think the spell became completely reversed, so that instead of the vampire not being able to live when the human dies ...'

'The vampire wasn't able to die while the human lives!' finished Damon excitedly and Elena's jaw dropped.

'Because Matt is technically still alive on the machines in the hospital – Elena couldn't die!' Stefan marvelled. Bonnie nodded happily and Elena's face slowly grew brighter and brighter.

'So Matt is ...?' Elena began, barely daring to hope but Bonnie's smile allayed her fears almost immediately.

'I would think that Matt is in the hospital waking up right about now', she grinned. 'The spell reached its resolution. It's complete. No Matt link, no doppelganger link, you're 100% spell free', she finished good-naturedly. Elena gave a short whoop of pure elation and hugged Bonnie again before scrambling back across the floor to Damon's arms. She placed a chaste peck on his lips before pulling back with an admonishing glare.

'So that means you had better be nice to Matt from now on', she thumped his chest playfully. Damon felt a burst of laughter bubble up in him, then he was hit heavily by how surreal the situation was, joking and laughing when only moments ago he thought that he'd never do either of those things again. All of a sudden, the reality rushed in on him. It was real, this wasn't a temporary tease, the rug was not about to be pulled out from under him – Elena was here with him and no spell or doppelganger nonsense was going to take her away from him.

'Believe me', he rejoined amiably. 'He's not just back on the Christmas card list, he's gone straight to the top of it', he grinned and felt his body hum with satisfaction when she laughed.

Suddenly, however, their good humour was cut short when they heard the rumble of falling plaster behind them. They turned as one to the heap of rubble that had once been the glorious chandelier and sobered when they saw some mortar, falling from the pile in a shower of dust. Suddenly a hand broke though the seemingly immovable heap and began clawing at the debris, causing more of it to tumble down.

'Rebekah', hissed Elena and slowly each one of them rose to their feet, squarely facing the ruined chandelier and forming a united line of defence as Rebekah doggedly tore her way out of the wreckage. When at last she burst forth, her clothes were torn and filthy and her hair dark and matted. Any injuries she might have sustained had already healed but her eyes still blazed with fury as she staggered free.

'I'd stop there if I were you', Elena's voice rang out coldly and Rebekah suddenly stopped in her tracks. Her eyes almost popped out of her head when she saw Elena standing before her, alive and well, flanked on either side by Damon and Stefan.

'I killed you, you're dead ... how ...?' she growled brokenly, a hint of uncertainty crossing her face.

'Apparently not', Elena replied tersely, 'and that's all you need to know.' The doubt in Rebekah's face increased and suddenly she was backing a few steps away instead of advancing.

'And I think you should know', Bonnie's voice suddenly piped up, 'that, as far as we knew at the time, Elena was linked to Matt and her death would kill them both. It seems, luckily, that we were a little misguided on that point but Klaus didn't tell you that, did he? He made me promise not to tell you. How would it have felt if you had just killed Matt, Rebekah?' she asked accusingly. This time the original vampire's face fell completely, her eyes widening with shock at what might have happened, her feelings for Matt still clearly bubbling at the back of her mind. She was completely lost for words, her menace fragmenting around her. 'Maybe next time you should think before you act', Bonnie finished, her voice strong but acidic, railing against Rebekah's recent treatment of her.

'I think you should also know that you are now outnumbered and no witch is going to help you this time', Damon suddenly joined in, his voice dark and predatory. The urge to leap forward and tear Rebekah's head from her shoulders was so strong right now that only the solid presence of Elena's shoulder against his own was keeping him from surrendering to his impulse. Rebekah glanced back and forward as if confirming the truth of this and then her face twisted with frustration.

'All right', she finally conceded, then she gave a snort of derision. 'You think you've won but my brother will come back stronger than before. Just wait...' she threatened, but in her powerless state she merely sounded pathetic.

'Actually', Damon continued, 'I think it's you that may have to be wary of your brother. He's not going to be pleased when you return empty handed, is he?' Rebekah fumed silently, unable to respond and made a tight, sharp move towards Damon, but as one Damon, Elena and Stefan all readied themselves for her, fangs extended and eyes red. Her step suddenly faltered as she assessed the odds and she recoiled like a snake. She shook her head furiously.

'Next time', she hissed violently. 'Just wait!' And then with an almighty gust of wind that stirred up the dust surrounding them into a choking cloud, Rebekah was gone. When the air cleared they all looked around in bewilderment, but Rebekah had made her escape.

'I wish she came to more parties', Damon observed wryly and Elena rolled her eyes, slipping her hand into his gratefully. She cast a glance at Stefan, trying to convey her gratitude for his standing alongside them. He met her gaze for only a second and gave an almost imperceptible nod before he turned away again.

'Where has she gone?' asked Bonnie anxiously.

'Who knows?' Damon threw a dismissive hand in the air as he led Elena away from the rubble and towards the door of the function suite. 'Maybe home to face the music with Klaus or ... well ... I wouldn't put it past her to go on the run. I certainly wouldn't want to face her brother after failing as spectacularly as she did.' Elena gave him a slightly reproving glare but couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. Then suddenly another thought seized her. On the run.

She yanked her hand out of Damon's and swung back into the room, her head swivelling frantically from side to side before she turned back to them, her face one great unanswered question.

'Where's Katherine?' she cried incredulously. At once everyone became aware of the sneaky vampire's absence but couldn't quite place when they had last seen her.

'The witch, Morgan', Stefan suddenly gasped, pointing towards the pentagram on the floor and Elena's brow furrowed in consternation as she realised that Morgan had disappeared too.

'Was she here before? I haven't seen her since I woke up', Elena cried and there was a tinge of regret in her voice.

'Yes', Bonnie replied, 'she was here ... when you were unconscious ... but I don't remember seeing her after that.'

'She must have used the confusion when you woke up to slip away', Damon rolled his eyes. 'We were all so caught up in Elena that we would never have noticed her grabbing the witch and sneaking off.'

'But she can't have', Elena shook her head and began rounding the pile of rubble in the centre of the room, searching for her doppelganger.

'Believe me, it's her speciality!' Damon rejoined. 'Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. She'll be off licking her wounds and planning how to come back even more annoying. I doubt we've seen the last of her.' Elena watched him as he gave an unsurprised shake of his head, just a little bitterness in his eyes. She was surprised that she actually felt upset about Katherine's disappearance. Over the last couple of hours she had felt almost close to her and part of her felt a little aggrieved at not getting to speak to her, try to make her see that she could still change. She reluctantly recognised the shocking truth that she would have at least liked to say goodbye. Yet somewhere deep within her, she knew that Damon was right. Their paths would cross again. And Elena realised that, somehow, she was morbidly looking forward to it. She continued to make them scour the room for a few minutes more, checking the bar, cloakroom and recesses but it was no use. Like a passing gust of wind, Katherine had disappeared.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. They slipped quietly from the function area of the hotel and returned to their rooms, Stefan letting Bonnie use his while Elena gratefully let Damon lead her back to her own. She shuddered as she thought of the carnage that had been left in Damon's room but in her hazy happiness she could easily push the bad memories from her mind.

She was craving a shower to get the dirt and grime off her skin and hair and she would gladly have slept for a little while until all the events of the past few days felt like nothing more than a horrible nightmare. But once Damon slunk irresistibly into the shower and began lathering the shampoo into her hair with expert fingers, she knew that sleep would never be an option. When they lay in a tangled heap of limbs afterwards, exhausted and fighting off sleep so that they could enjoy the moment just a little longer, she stared deeply into his eyes and was so completely content that her lips seemed to move of their own accord.

'I love you', she murmured softly. Damon gave her a sleepy smile that overflowed with fulfilment.

'I am never going to get tired of hearing that', he grinned and his hand stroked gently over the curve of her hip and settled around her waist. He pulled her tight against him and gave her a lazy, delicious kiss. 'I love you too', he replied, moving to stroke her hair, his fingers finally brushing her lips and dancing across her neck. She sighed happily and snuggled into the crook of his arm, trailing her fingers across his chest absent mindedly. They lay together quietly for a while, simply basking in each other's touch before Elena finally allowed the outside world to begin to seep into her mind again.

'What are we going to do now?' she asked presently, her voice now coloured by a shade of anxiety. Damon smiled and nuzzled against the top of her head.

'We just keep going', he replied. 'I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to it', he smirked wickedly, his hand wandering down her thigh and hitching her leg up over his waist. Elena grinned in spite of herself and, although she allowed him to pull her closer, she pushed against his shoulder to keep him back slightly so that she could look into his eyes.

'I'm serious, Damon', she told him, her eyes clouding slightly with worry. 'Klaus and Rebekah are still roaming free and I doubt that they're going to quickly forgive what happened today, not to mention the fact that Caroline still thinks Klaus is Tyler. I just don't think we're out of the woods yet', she fretted. Damon smiled at her and took her face in his hand, his thumb stroking her cheek soothingly.

'Yep', he agreed, 'that's true. But that's life, Elena', he continued gently. 'It isn't like a movie. You don't reach the finale and then suddenly everyone lives happily ever after. You've got to keep fighting', he smiled encouragingly. 'Sometimes things will be plain sailing but obstacles will always come up, but you know what? We'll overcome them. Because I promise that whatever else happens, I will keep fighting for you. Every day. Forever.' As he spoke a broad grin spread across Elena's face, his lulling touch on her cheek making it seem like any danger they might face was laughable. Slowly she found herself nodding. He was right. They would go home and they would deal with their problems one at a time. As long as they had each other nothing was insurmountable.

'I promise that too', she finally whispered and then he pulled her into another kiss that made every other worry flee from her mind.

Eventually the afternoon rolled around and they finally managed to climb from the bed and gather their things together. Elena found herself once more sitting on the love seat in the reception area, only this time she was alone and suffused with a glowing happiness. She heard a few murmurs from staff and bypassers about a terrible accident that had happened in the grand ballroom, that a freak tremor had brought down the chandelier and Elena had to stifle a smile. She turned away from the conversation so that she wouldn't be seen laughing and suddenly found herself facing reception, just as Stefan was turning away from the desk, his bag in hand. His eyes met Elena's immediately and she knew that there was no way she could avoid him.

'Hey', she greeted him shyly.

'Hi', he replied with a seriousness that she found unutterably sad. They then lapsed into an uneasy silence and Elena found herself gazing desperately around the room, racking her brain for something to say. When it came to her, she blurted it out in her eagerness to ease the awkwardness.

'Jeremy called earlier', she told him and she felt frustrated that her voice sounded so unnatural. 'He said that Matt is awake and doing fine. His Mom arrived about twenty minutes after he woke up', she pointed out gravely.

'Just in time then', Stefan replied, raising his eyebrows. 'I'm glad he's ok.' Elena nodded and felt her stomach drop as the silence took hold again. This time it was Stefan who broke it. 'So where's Damon?' he asked, his eyes growing considerably duller.

'He said he had something to do', Elena replied, 'But he should be here any minute.' Now it was Stefan's turn to nod mutely and he heaved his bag higher onto his shoulder. 'Where are you going?' Elena finally asked, her voice quiet but at least recognisable as her own now. Stefan looked at the ground but his face seemed to soften slightly.

'I'm going to fly home with Bonnie. Make sure she's safe', he started. Elena smiled understandingly. She had meant his long term plans because Bonnie had already told her this much before they said goodbye a few minutes before. But she didn't want to correct him. He seemed to sense this though and continued, still avoiding her gaze. 'After that I reckon I've got a few days while you and Damon are driving back to sort some things out. Then I'm leaving. At least for a while.' Elena felt sad but she respected his decision.

'For what it's worth, thank you', she told him sincerely. 'For this, for ... everything.'

'I just wanted to make sure you were all right', he shrugged morosely. 'But I know you'll be fine now.' He heaved a great sigh as though his next words were difficult to get out. 'Damon ... Damon looks after the things he loves', he finished wistfully. Elena felt her heart ache a little as she thought of the Stefan that she had first met a lifetime ago.

'You know that goes for you too, right?' she observed gently and slowly Stefan's head came up, finally meeting her gaze. The previously immovable misery that hung around him seemed to thaw before her eyes slightly and she was please to see a tiny spark of life in his face once again. They held each other's eyes for a moment, remorse, guilt and latent tenderness passing wordlessly between them.

'Well', Stefan finally broke the connection and turned away. 'Bonnie's waiting, I'd better go.'

'When will we see you?' Elena asked hopefully but Stefan shook his head.

'Not for while', he answered firmly, 'But', he went on, 'maybe not as long as I first thought.' Elena accepted this and maintained eye contact for another moment as he backed away and then turned, heading towards the door. She was sorrier that she could ever say that she had hurt him but she realised that at last he understood. He knew that she and Damon's love was the real thing, could see how happy they both were and perhaps this might make it easier for him to bear. Suddenly she felt very sure that they would see him again, maybe in one year, maybe a few, but in the end he would come to terms with this and return to them as a brother and a friend.

This thought had no sooner passed through her head when suddenly Damon rounded the front door of the hotel at exactly the same time as Stefan was about to leave. They were directly in each other's path and stopped in their tracks, looking at each other. Elena felt her heart heap into her throat, anxiety seizing her that they might start a fight right here in the hotel lobby, but instead they stood facing each other for a long time. Finally Damon spoke but he was speaking too low for her to hear. Stefan's face softened at his brother's words as he replied in the same, indecipherable tone. Obviously this was very deliberately meant to be between the brothers alone so Elena backed away and left them their moment. For the rest of her existence, she never found out what words transpired between the brothers that day, she only knew that, right before she turned her back on them, she saw Stefan smile again for the first time in weeks.

As the brother's spoke she wandered across the lobby and waited idly at the full length mirror, absent mindedly flicking her hair. She leaned towards the glass to check her face and suddenly, without her features having shifted at all, her reflection independently smiled and nodded encouragingly at her. Elena gasped and jumped back from the mirror but immediately her reflection did the same, following all her moves identically once more. She looked in confusion at the glass, her eyes wide with shock and then slowly understanding crept over her and a smile grew.

'Thank you, Tatia', she breathed with sad affection.

'What was that?' came a voice suddenly behind her, startling her and making her jump. She scowled jokingly as she saw Damon's reflection hovering over her shoulder in the mirror. She whirled around and good naturedly punched his arm.

'Don't scare me like that!' she reprimanded him, but it was undermined by the laugh in her eyes.

'I can't help it. I'm very scary', Damon smirked wickedly. At last she laughed properly and let him wind his arms around her waist.

'Where have you been anyway?' she asked happily, looking up into his eyes.

'Well, if you must know', he began, stepping away from her and reaching inside his jacket, 'I was getting something for you.' Elena felt her spirits soar at this prospect and she realised that he had never actually given her anything before. The thought of him thinking about her when she wasn't around him warmed her deliciously and she smiled eagerly.

'Really?' she asked excitedly and he nodded as he produced a small, rectangular package, wrapped in plain paper, presumably by the store. 'What is it?' she pressed, taking it from him.

'Open it', he urged and watched carefully for her reaction. She tore the paper back and then suddenly her eyes widened and her excitement grew into something much deeper.

'It's a new diary', Damon explained unnecessarily as Elena ran her fingers lovingly over the red leather cover. 'I thought you might like to start getting to know the vampire Elena a bit better.' She felt her heart swell in her chest, so completely touched by the thoughtfulness of his gift. 'Spoiler', he carried on in an exaggerated stage whisper, 'she's pretty great.' At last Elena grinned and looked up at him, her eyes full of gratitude and affection.

'Thank you', she replied, 'this is ... perfect.' Then she put her arms around him and hugged him tightly, enjoying the little groan of contentment that escaped him as she did so. They both felt like the world had shifted and, suddenly, after years of wandering, they were where they were meant to be. Damon finally pulled back with a smile and pressed a very brief kiss to her lips.

'Come on then. It's time to go', he quirked an eyebrow devilishly and gave her a playful spank on the ass, causing her to giggle. He swung her bag up onto his shoulder and turned back to look at her, the wicked smirk that she knew so well curling his lip enticingly.

'You ready?' he asked and Elena felt her whole body suddenly hum with anticipation and excitement, as the diary burned in her hands, reminding her of the new life that was laid out before her, just waiting to be written. A life that could be whatever she wanted, with passion excitement and, yes, maybe even a little danger. A broad grin spread across her face and she replied pointedly.

'Oh yes, Damon. I'm ready.'

Epilogue

The sun beat down on the blue waters of Lake Como in Northern Italy and it sparkled like a sapphire amongst the emerald green hills. Near the village of Varenna, higher up on the hillside and far from the main road, was a particularly secluded villa. It was quintessentially Italian and the glorious sunshine flooded through wide open doors into an exquisitely appointed living room with a tiled floor and expensive furnishings. At this particular moment, however, the elegant couch and chaise longue had been cleared to the side of the room and two women sat cross legged in the centre of the floor, hands joined and eyes closed. One had long, lustrous dark hair pushed back by a pair of sunglasses that were sitting on her forehead, while the other had bouncy auburn curls. Painted starkly on the tiles beneath them, was a pentagram. Katherine and Morgan had always had the best taste in hideaways.

Suddenly both women opened their eyes with a gasp. Katherine immediately sprang from her place on the floor and paced around, stretching her limbs like she had just been released from a cage. She finally came to rest at the open window, yanking the sunglasses down over her eyes as she looked out into the bright daylight.

'Did it work?' demanded Katherine, turning her fearsome glare on the witch who still sat on the floor, but her companion merely smiled.

'Just like it was supposed to', the witch replied. 'I was worried when the ritual was interrupted that it might not, but everything went perfectly. The link is open again – but from your side only. You can see Elena but she won't see you.'

'And her mind, it won't ... I mean, she'll be safe?' Katherine confirmed, a hint of unfamiliar softness filtering through her eyes. Morgan nodded haughtily.

'She'll be fine. She'll have no idea that anything has happened', she assured the vampire.

'Good', Katherine grinned, relief evident for a second and then quickly banished by her usual smugness. She closed her eyes and her face was gripped by a look of concentration, which slowly gave way to a dangerous, victorious smirk. 'They're back in Mystic Falls now', she reported with dangerous glee. 'Things seem to be going ...well', she finished and a smile that seemed to arise from a place other than her usual sarcasm and bitterness graced her face for a moment. Then she dropped back against the door frame and seemed to let her focus go, the vision slipping away.

'And you're not worried. About your mind?' Morgan asked timidly. Katherine threw her head back and laughed.

'Me? Her memories are a drop in the ocean compared to mine. There's plenty of room here', she tapped the side of her head devilishly. 'No, when I planned to hand them over, I didn't think Klaus would kill her right away and it was going to be the perfect way to keep an eye on him', she continued regretfully. 'As long as the link couldn't be used to see me, of course.'

'Of course', Morgan agreed. 'So if she's not with Klaus, like you planned. Why did you decide to reactivate the link?' the witch asked curiously.

'Well, it's always handy to be able to look in on them if Klaus is around', Katherine replied with a shrug and then her face twisted into grin full of shameless pleasure. 'Besides', she continued, pulling the sunglasses off and fixing Morgan with wide, dark eyes, a spark of affection glowing amid their chaotic tumult. 'They're just far too much fun!'

THE END

A/N: And if this were a movie we'd finish on a big old close up of Katherine, the doppelganger's eyes. (See? Because she's the dope ... yeah you get where I'm going with this! lol)

Go on, you didn't really think I'd let Elena die after everything, did you? Ha ha!

It's been a pleasure writing this and I am amazed at how much it took arms and legs. It was only meant to be Damon and Elena in the beginning but the other characters just forced their way in there – especially the bits with Matt, which kind of came to me after I'd already started writing and I nearly didn't include them. I was quite pleased with how those bits as turned out in the end actually as I got to give him the chance to do something other than just stand around frowning like he does on the show!

Not planning on starting anything else any time soon as for the next few weeks the plan is:

Couch+Christmas Films+chocolate = Homer Simpsonesque drooling noise.

I just want to take one last opportunity to thank you all so very much for reading this story and leaving me all your fantastic comments and reviews. I have loved every one of them and they have made this such a rewarding exercise. Since I only have time to either write or read – I look forward to having a little time to read some of your fics now.

Thanks again and I hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas when it comes.

XXX

FF_4144701_1390407822 13 07 December 2012