He picked up my hand and kissed it before resting the back of it on his cheek "There's only one cure. As in, there's only one vial for one vampire. That's it." He sighed studying me closely to gauge my reaction. I got lost in his crystal blue eyes before it fully sunk in.

I would be human and Damon would continue being a vampire. Forever.

"No…" I uttered out a broken whisper and my eyes diverted so I was staring at nothing. This is worse than I could've possibly imagined. Yes, I fought so hard to stay human before, but now everything was different. Now I had Damon.

I pressed my lips together as I felt them tremble but it didn't stop the tears from rolling down my eyes.

"Why can't I be happy?" I tried to speak normally but half way through a sob broke out as I turned to look back at Damon whose expression reflected my own. "The only good thing to happen to me is you, and now I'm going to lose you."

He placed both his hands on my wet cheeks as his passion overwhelmed me, "Elena. You will never lose me. Do you understand? I love you more than you will ever know. God, I love you more than I even know"

"I'm going to grow old and die while you continue living an eternity without me. What's going to happen to our love then?"

I saw a spark in Damon's eyes as he just ignored me and stood up. I watched on in confusion with tear stained cheeks while he tore clothes from coat hangers and threw them on the bed.

'What-" I took a shaky breath but I couldn't hide the pain and suffering from my voice "What are you doing?"

He turned around but all he did was hold his open hand out towards me "Come on we're leaving."

"L-Leaving?"

"I'm being serious we are running away as far away from Mystic Falls and Klaus as possible. Right now. It goes against everything in me to see you like this. You are not going to take this cure or so help me I will die trying." He got hold of my hand this time and pulled me up into a sitting position on the bed but I made no advances to move.

I pulled my hand out his grasp and wrapped my arms around me "We can't Damon. Don't you think I've already thought of that? You know Klaus will go after what family we have left."

"To hell with them." He growled.

I didn't react over his outburst because I knew it was just the hurt and anger taking over. I could sense he was fighting an internal battle by the inferno in his crystalline eyes.

I slowly crawled forward to the edge of the bed and wrapped my arms around him so my face was resting against his firm, bare stomach.

"We'll find a way, we always find a way. We are Damon and Elena Salvatore." I spoke with so much determination I almost believed myself.

I felt his body relax significantly as his hands ran through my tangled hair. I don't know why I adopted his last name spur of the moment, but it felt right after all his blood turned me. As if I was now part of his 'vampire family'.

"Elena Salvatore…"He breathed in wonder and I wished at that moment I didn't have my eyes closed so I could've looked up and seen the expression on his face.

He untied my arms from around him and flashed to the other side of the bed. I turned around and watched him as he pulled out his beside drawer with so much force the whole thing fell to the ground in a loud clatter. I just sat in silent distress looking at him go through a state of frenzy.

I fell back into the pillows with a jump as he flashed back in front of me on the bed taking me by surprise.

"What on earth-" I started but cut myself off abruptly as I noticed what he was holding so conspicuously in front of me "Your box?"

I looked back up at him with watery eyes filled with questions.

"Now you'll understand why I didn't want you to see it earlier." He did one of his genuine half smiles that visibly relaxed me, and my curiosity peaked.

He snapped the lock off the box as if it were made of cheap plastic, "That's really more for show."

He opened up the small chest and emptied the contents onto the bed. The first thing that caught my eye was a very old sketch that looked like it had been through the wars. Well it probably had as I remembered Damon had served in the civil war. I lifted it up and inspected the photo of the beautiful woman with long black hair and piercing blue eyes. A female version of Damon.

"Your mother." He nodded and picked up another photo to hand to me, which was entirely different from the one I was just looking at because it was from this decade. My heart stopped as I realised I was the subject of the picture.

I was outside my school standing next to Caroline and Amber, another girl on the cheerleading squad. It must have just been after practice as we were all in our uniforms looking flushed from exercise. The photo caught me in a wide-eyed daydream, as I was staring off in an opposite direction from the two other girls into the focus of the camera, but not straight into the lens. The wind was blowing my hair into my face and my hand was swiping away the strands restricting my eyesight.

"But…this is from years ago." I paused "You took this?"

"Of course I did; on my phone. I was watching you to see what had brought Stefan back to Mystic Falls, and I had never seen a girl so beautiful. I knew from that moment you had to be mine."

I grinned and held the photo to my chest, the love overwhelming me "This photo would have been undeniably romantic if you hadn't taken it back when we hated each other."

"Now you may have hated me, but I can't say I ever felt anything remotely close to that regarding you." He laughed.

"Well you didn't exactly give me much of an alternative." I smirked and noticed a glint of light from a military medal lying next to my knee. I put down the photo and picked it up. I inspected it closely swiping my thumb across the engraving.

'Southern Cross of Honor, Damon Salvatore, 1861-1865.'

I looked up and opened my mouth to question him on the medal, however I froze as I focused on the small object he was fumbling with in his hands.

He spotted I had caught sight of what he was holding and a shy grin took over his face, yet I just sat there with my jaw still hanging open catching flies.

"I know this may seem a little impulsive, but…will you make me that happiest man-" He stuttered awkwardly "Vampire- alive and marry me Elena Gilbert?"

I dropped his medal onto the bed and my hand flew to my mouth in shock as new tears rolled down my eyes. This time from pure love not grief and sorrow. He held the exquisite ring up between his manly fingers and the diamonds sparkled radiantly even though hardly any light was filtering into the room.

"I know everything around us is a big uncontrollable supernatural mess, but our love is easy, and nothing can destroy it. Not even this cure. You are the love of my life Elena…please say yes."

I nodded my head uncontrollably as I held out my hand and remembered the ability to speak.

"Yes! Of course; yes!" I cried ecstatically as he delicately put the ring on my engagement finger.

"Thank god. For a minute there I thought you were going to say no and flash out the window." He laughed sheepishly whilst I found it hard to tear my eyes away from the ring on my finger.

"Damon…" I breathed, wiping the tears away on the back of my hand still trying to absorb the whole situation.

"It was my mother's, and I can't imagine her wanting anybody else wearing it apart from you. If you don't like it I can buy you any one you want, price isn't an issue-"

"No!" I cut him off abruptly and threw my arms around him "I love it. I love you."

"I Love you too princess."

After a minute or so I removed myself from our embrace and pulled him in for the most passionate, obsessive kiss we had ever shared. All I could see were stars and I couldn't tell if seconds, minutes or hours had passed.

Our lips parted a couple of inches and we stared into each other's eyes with such an intensity to spark fire.

"We're engaged." I grinned.

"We're engaged." He repeated dumbly mirroring my smile.

"And you proposed to me when I'm only wearing my underwear…" I looked down with a pout.

He laughed again only finding the situation amusing as he pounced on me "I thrive on being spontaneous baby, besides it only makes this next part easier."

I giggled noticing the devilish glint in his eye, "I'm all yours my husband-to-be."

He groaned sinfully at my words as he recaptured my lips sending shocks to my core. His kisses trailed slowly to my neck and down my chest making me arch back under him with a moan.

He artfully unclasped by white lacy bra with one hand while the other started to trail my matching underwear down my legs.

After stripping me down to nothing he traced his kisses back to my chest and bit down on my nipple making me groan in need. His index finger trailed along my folds before he started rubbing my clit.

"You're so wet." His voice was so gravelly and filled with lust that it was driving me crazy he wasn't in me right now.

I pulled his head back up so I could kiss him again while he tortured me with those talented fingers of his.

"Please, I need you inside me. Right now." I pleaded with wide dilated eyes. "I miss you."

He smirked and sat back so he could take of his boxers. I licked my lips at the sight of his large erect manhood. My fiancée was the hottest man on earth. Just the thought of introducing him as my fiancée made my heart beat even faster.

He crawled up me in a torturously slow pace with a predators smile. I graced my own sultry smile and signalled him forward with my finger.

"You are too sexy for your own good." He warned with a glint in his eye.

As our lips reconnected for umpteenth time I wrapped my legs around him and he gradually entered me inch by inch. Once he filled me to the hilt he drew back out and entered me again in one swift motion making me bite down on his lip mid kiss.

"Oh my god…Sorry." I tried to sound apologetic as I lapped up the small dribble of blood but it sounded more like a moan. I forgot how good his blood tasted.

He propped his hand next to my head uncaring as his pace increased and my eyes rolled back in my head in pleasure. I ran my fingers down his muscular back eliciting a groan from him.

After god knows how many minutes and positions later the pleasure was overwhelming both of us. Our loud moans and growls filled the air, as we turned animistic tapping into our vampire characteristics.

"Damon I'm coming." I cried holding onto the bed frame behind me as he used his inhuman speed to bring us to the edge.

"Me too baby." He grunted before capturing my lips as we reached an earthshattering climax. I heard a loud crack but I was too lost in the moment to even care.

After a minute or so he pulled out and slumped down next to me so we were laying side be side covered in a sheen of sweat and out of breath. It was just then I noticed my hands were stinging so I innately lifted them up to check them.

"Shit." I groaned realising I had splinters in both my hands. I rolled over onto my stomach and looked up to be met with Damon's, now cracked, wooden head-post.

I burst out laughing as I watched Damon's expression when he noticed the damage I had done. Whoops I know how touchy he is over his 'antique' furniture.

"That's it give me back the ring." He tried to act serious but he failed to keep the toothy grin from his face. He shook his head in amazement before taking my hands and picking out the splinters gently.

"I promise I'll fix it." I smiled amused how I had broken it in the first place.

"Oh so you're a carpenter by trade too? So many things I don't know about my own fiancée." He teased and kissed my now healed hand.

"Oh shut up." I grumbled and pulled the bed sheet over my body only for Damon to pull it off me again, "Hey!"

"After one round, really?" He quirked an eyebrow "We just got engaged woman!"

I screamed in a fit of giggles as he attacked me with kisses and tickles, but soon my laughter turned into moans as things got heated again. We spent the rest of the night, and the early hours of the morning, in throws of passion until we finally collapsed spent, falling asleep in each other's arms.

I woke up as if everything that happened last night was a dream until I lifted up my hand. The teenage girl inside me squealed as I saw Damon's mother's ring on the fourth finger of my left hand. The rays of morning sunlight streamed through the gaps of the curtains making the diamonds sparkle with intensity.

I smiled to myself in utter serenity, but dread suddenly pooled in my stomach when I was reminded of the damn cure. Damon sure did a good job last night making me forget all about it.

One of his arms was draped over my chest while he lay on his stomach still sound asleep. I watched him silently in contemplation, imagining growing old and dying without him. A lone tear ran down my cheek but I quickly wiped it away as if it never happened, in denial to myself.

I noticed the empty chest from last night on the edge of the bed about to fall off so I reached and picked it up wondering where its contents where. I looked around hoping we hadn't crushed the photos, but I found them only slightly bent and Damon's medal was next to them.

I put them all back apart from the picture of Damon's mother. I studied the picture more closely and I felt I hadn't truly appreciated how gorgeous she was last night. I now know where Damon gets his good genes. She was sporting a small defiant smile that seemed to imply she had many secrets; like the Mona Lisa.

"She would've loved you. You have the same spark she did." I jumped as Damon's sexy morning voice startled me out my reverie.

I looked over my shoulder to see him leaning on his elbow facing me with a sad smile. I could tell he was still hurting over the death of his mother even after all these years.

"I thought you were asleep." I gave him menacing eyes for giving me a fright.

"I'm older, stronger and wiser princess. I love making you jump." He laughed pulling me in for quick morning kiss. "How are you feeling?"

"Hmm let me see…" I murmured lying down to rest my head on his chest so I was looking up at the ceiling. "I'm insanely happy considering you proposed to me last night, but then again I'm waiting on my impending doom over this cure. So I'm a bit 50/50."

"I think you're spending too much time with me, the sarcasm is just oozing out of you."

"You're a bad influence." I teased and looked at Damon's mother's photo again which I still had in my hand. "What was her name?"

"Lily." He answered softly.

"Lily." I repeated testing it on my tongue "That's a beautiful name. You know what I don't understand is how you are her double, yet Stefan looks nothing like her."

"What are you saying? That Stefan and I are really half-brothers? How scandalous."

"Don't be mean." I scolded.

"You said it!"

"I didn't mean it like that! How old were you when she died?" I shifted my head so I could look into his eyes that were staring at the ceiling.

"Eight. She died when Stefan was just a baby. That's why my father hated me so much you know, because I looked so much like her, as if it was my fault." He spoke through gritted teeth near the end, and my heart filled with pain imagining Damon as a small child receiving no love from his own father.

"That's awful. I'm so sorry baby." I placed my hand on his cheek compassionately.

"It was a long time ago." He brushed it off and made movement to sit up so I moved off his chest. I could tell this touchy topic of conversation was over.

"I'm going to go get a blood bag, do you want one?" He asked changing back instantly to his warm and loving demeanour as if the conversation never happened.

"Yes please."

He walked over to his wardrobe sinfully naked, my hungry eyes following his every move as he pulled on a fresh pair of underwear.

"Can you pass me my silk dressing gown?" I asked melodiously.

"We're not even engaged for a whole day and I'm already whipped." He rolled his eyes as he passed me the bundle of white silk.

"Thank you my love." I smiled sweetly with a twinkle of mischief in my eyes. "Besides you've been 'whipped' for longer than you'd like to admit, everyone knows it."

"Dammit. My rep is really going downhill." He grumbled walking out the door, however I smiled knowing all to well he thrived looking after me.

I climbed out the bed and stood up to fasten my dressing gown. I noticed my phone was flashing across the room so I went over to pick it up, surprised it hadn't ran out of charge yet.

I frowned when I saw I had three missed calls from Stefan. I phoned him back quickly hoping there wasn't more bad news. I don't know how much more I could take.

"Hello?"

"It's Elena. You called?" I spoke sharply as if we were talking strict business.

"Yeah…it was just to say we should be back tonight. I thought you should know."

"Oh…" I didn't know what else to say.

I heard him sigh deeply down the phone in his typical broody fashion, "I don't know what to do Elena. I thought we would have this cure for the both of us."

"For the millionth time there is no 'us' Stefan." I rolled my eyes, sitting back down on the edge of the bed.

"There could've been. And there still might be once you turn human again, I will never give up on you."

I just groaned through the phone not finding the energy to fight with him "I'm going to hang up now."

"I'll see you soon, we'll talk more then."

"Goodbye Stefan." I hung up and wrung the phone in my hands.

"I leave your side for two minutes and you phone my brother." Damon coolly strolled back in the room handing me a blood bag.

"Thanks. He was just telling me they'd be back tonight."

He smirked and sat next to me "I know." He pointed to his ears before biting into the bag and finishing it off in a mere couple of seconds.

I bit into my own bag drowning in the pleasure of blood flowing through my system until the plastic crimpled in my hands. I pouted never feeling my thirst truly quenched no matter how much I drank.

"You've got a little-" Damon lifted his hand up to wipe away some blood that had trailed down my chin. He put his thumb in my mouth so I could suck the blood off; I nipped it softly with my vampire teeth giving a naughty smile.

"You're a vixen."

"You love it."

He smirked again pulling me in for a searing kiss. I drew him on top of me as I lay back on the bed seductively. Suddenly, after only a few seconds, Damon stopped kissing with a confused look on his face, much to my disappointment. I returned the look silently asking him what was wrong.

"I thought you said they were coming tonight."

"That's what Stefan said." I whispered with fear rapidly consuming me.

"Well there's somebody approaching the house. A vampire."

I strained my hearing and heard footsteps crunching on the stones in the driveway. Oh god I hope it's Caroline.

"Stay here." He commanded getting up off the bed and pulling on jeans and a shirt.

"No way. I'm coming down."

"Elena..." He pleaded with defeated eyes.

"Don't 'Elena' me I can handle myself." I quickly changed into some clothes in lightening speed whilst ignoring whatever looks Damon was giving me.

He grabbed my arm before I could leave the room resulting in me giving him an irritated glare. Staying upstairs isn't going to stop Klaus from shoving the cure down my throat.

"No matter what happens I will never love you any less than I do right now, okay?"

My glare dissolved into a look of sadness and love instantly. It was as if those words had finally let the reality of the situation hit me.

"You took the words out of my mouth." I returned a teary half smile "I love you so much…Now c'mon lets kick some original but."

He grinned with a glint in his eye before kissing me quickly and holding my hand so we could get to the front door together with our vampire speed.

Milliseconds after we got downstairs there was a knock at the door. We looked at each other confused, side-by-side.

"I thought Klaus was invited in?" I whispered.

Before he could answer me the door slowly swung open revealing an original leaning self-righteously against the doorframe with a small smile. Damon instinctively broke apart our hands to put his arm out in front of me in a protective stance.

"Hello Elena, Damon." The sickly sweet British accent filled me with anxiety, but not for the reasons I had previously anticipated. This was the original that killed me in the first place, not the one that wants to turn me back.

Rebekah.

I hope you liked this chapter and that the DE engagement lived up to your expectations! :D

I really hope you have the time to leave a review I reply by PM to each one!

Thank you so much for reading and Chapter 15 is on its way, so much more to come!