Author's Note: Well, we've finally reached the end dear readers. This final chapter means a lot to me, and believe it or not, it's something I've been slowly working on since the beginning. I've truly enjoyed our journey together and I hope you have as well. I'm both excited and nervous to see what this season of TVD has in store for us, but hopefully it will spark some new inspirations for future stories and we will meet again.

Thanks again to all of you who have read and reviewed this story. There were times when I felt slightly discouraged or unsure if I'd be able to finish it, but you were all so amazing and encouraging, so thank you for everything!

So without further ado, the final chapter of WWHB. Enjoy :)

Say Your Name
When does a scar become a tattoo?
When does the sky fade back to blue?
When does this broken heart that I'm holding
Beat on it's own?
- Plumb

Elena's POV:

'Hi Bonnie,

…Honestly, I'm not even sure how to begin…

What can I say? Where do I start?

I've been staring at this blank page for hours now, trying to imagine what I would say to you if I could tell you everything in person. But then I think, if you were really here, all I would want to do is hug you. All I would want to do is hold onto you and cling tightly to every memory and every moment of our friendship that I hold so dear. But you're not here, and I can't, and I don't know what to do.

My heart is truly broken, Bonnie… and I'm not sure how to ever make it whole again. I'm not sure that words can ever be enough, nor am I sure if they ever will be.

In a few hours, these words will be nothing but ash in the wind. In a few hours, Liv's spell will set this old, crumpled up letter ablaze with the hope that it might find it's way to you as it returns to one of the Earth's most natural elements; elements that now hold you and all of the magic you so graciously gave back so that we might find our way home again.

And all I can hope for now is that, wherever you are, these words will find you. I need them to find you.

Liv seems doubtful and has warned us that we'll have no way of ever knowing if it worked, but I know it will. Just like you've sent me messages of hope in the past, I know this letter will find it's way to you. I have hope. I know that absolutely nothing is impossible. You taught me that.

But this letter is so much more than just words on a page, Bonnie. This letter is my heart, my soul, my mind… all of which I owe to you. The words I say here today will never be able to fully express how thankful I am to have known you, or how lucky I am to have been your friend. You saved me, Bonnie. You've saved every piece of me.

Just as Jeremy, Ric, Stefan and even Damon all owe you their lives, so forever will I. We will never be able to repay you for all of the sacrifices you have made just so that the rest of us might find our way again, so that we might find happiness. I don't deserve your friendship, and the fact that you stuck by me – even in death – just shows how truly kind and beautiful and compassionate you are, Bonnie Bennett. You are the greatest friend I could have ever had, and there is absolutely nothing I wouldn't give to have you standing here beside us.

I know that Jeremy and Caroline, and even Damon, all wrote you their own letters… I haven't read them, and I won't. I know their words are personal, and deeply rooted in their own unique connection they shared with you; connections that weren't always the most pleasant or friendly or worthy of your kindness, and yet you stood by them anyway. Somehow, you were always able to see the good in people.

Yeah, I guess you know I'm mainly talking about Damon…. and in many ways, I suppose, myself.

God, I can't thank you enough, Bonnie. And not just for bringing him back to me… but for understanding. You understood more than anyone – sometimes even more than I – just how much I needed him; how much we needed each other. You've always had my back and never faltered in supporting me… even when I didn't deserve it… and you and I both know there were so many times when I didn't deserve it. But I need you to know that I'm sorry. I need you to hear me when I say how sorry I am for every selfish moment and for every stolen second of happiness that was so wrongly taken from you.

Damon and I can finally be happy. We can finally have our forever…and we owe it all to you. So please believe me, Bonnie, when I tell you that not a single day will ever go by in which we don't think of you, or acknowledge how differently our lives would have been without you. You didn't just save him…you saved us both.

I just wish that things could have been different for you.

Jeremy misses you so much, and honestly, I know he's going to need you to still watch over him. I've never seen him love anyone the way he loved you, and it kills me to accept that the two of you will never have the future you deserved to have had. He owes you his entire life, just like we all do, but I know that his grief will be felt in ways much different than mine. I know, because it's the kind of grief that can only be found through losing such a powerful love. It's not to say that the rest of us aren't hurting or aren't missing you or aren't broken in our own ways, because we are – it's just that I know his grief will be different. It will come from a place that can only be felt by losing the love of your life…. And that's what you were to him, Bonnie. You were the love of his life.

And I will always be eternally grateful that Jeremy found you; that he got to experience that kind of love.

Me and Damon, and even Ric, will always be here for him, so please don't worry. You assured that we could be, so thank you for that. I know that together, we will survive this. We always do. Somehow.

I miss you, Bonnie. So much.

But I know, even as we say our goodbyes today, it's not really the end. You are a part of us. You are our family and forever in our hearts.

You are where we will find our bravery, our strengths…our hopes. You are where we will find the silver linings and the will to keep fighting.

We will never forget you and will never lose sight of what you've given us. I am honored to have known you and am honored to have been your friend. You gave me my life back and I will forever be indebted to you. Thank you, Bonnie. Thank you for everything.

Love,
Your friend forever,
Elena Gilbert

She watched, with tears falling down her cheek, as Liv held onto the crumpled pages of their letters tightly in her fist, muttering the incantation. She felt Damon wrap his arm around her and she watched as he placed a steady hand on Jeremy's shoulder. She felt Caroline lean her head against her and the feeling of Stefan's arm as he tried to comfort them both. The five of them stood united together in their grief, watching as Liv concentrated on the picture of Bonnie, a token of remembrance that still remained from the first memorial service they'd held for her nearly a year prior.

She knew that saying goodbye to Bonnie shouldn't feel so unfamiliar, and that her acquaintance with grief and pain should make letting go easier… but it didn't.

She watched as Ric, Matt, Tyler, Luke, and even Jessa stood behind Liv, each looking as solemn and depressed as she felt. Everyone was here. Everyone had wanted to pay their respects to the girl who had given them back their freedom, their lives and their hope.

It had been Damon's idea, and she was grateful. Something Bonnie had said to him seemed to have resonated with him. Something about the connection the two of them had shared during their time together on the Other Side seemed to have instilled in him a newfound faith. And Elena loved them both for it.

As the crumpled letters rose a few inches above Liv's now open palm, and then slowly caught fire, she felt her heart ache. The last words she would ever say to Bonnie were burning and would soon be nothing but dust in the wind.

She quickly made her way to Jeremy, wrapping him in a tight hug as the final pieces of the letters disintegrated. He squeezed her tightly and she felt his tears fall down to her shoulder, causing her own sobs to grow heavier. She felt Ric move in and squeeze Jeremy's shoulder, attempting to provide him with some comfort and reassurance.

But Elena knew better. She knew that, regardless of how much time had already passed or how much support they would all try and give Jeremy, his pain would be different than everyone else's. It's one thing to lose a great friend, but another thing entirely to lose the person you believed you'd spend your life with. The acknowledgement made her heart ache with pain for her brother, knowing that he'd truly never be the same.

It felt like they'd all been there for hours, silently grieving, respecting the stillness and acknowledging their appreciation for still having one another, when Damon finally wrapped her in a hug and whispered in her ear, "Let's go home."

She nodded, slowly pulling away, before interlocking her arm with her brother's while keeping her free hand in Damon's. She smiled as she watched Stefan lock his fingers with Caroline's, Matt wrap an arm around Jessa, and even Tyler, taking a moment to check on Liv and brush a small tear away from her cheek, before they finally, in unison, all began to leave the cemetery.

It was a small moment, an insignificant moment in the grand scheme of their eternity, as they all walked together in silence, but she couldn't help but feel incredibly grateful. Her heart still ached, and probably always would, but at the same time, she felt rejuvenated.

The road would be long, and often, not always pleasant. There would most assuredly be more pain, more grief, and more uncertainties… but at least, she acknowledged, they would get to face them all together. They would get to live - as friends, as family, as soul-mates. Their eternity belonged to them, forever open to possibilities and endless opportunities.

However, they had just reached the gates of the cemetery when she suddenly stopped; a strange feeling coming over her. Damon and Jeremy both turned to look at her in confusion.

"What's wrong?" asked Damon, gently touching her arm.

Elena shook her head. "I don't know." She paused to listen to the woods around them, unsure of what she was hoping to hear. "Do you feel that?"

Damon looked around, before looking back at her nervously. "Feel what?"

She shook her head again. "Nothing. Never mind. I just had a strange feeling. Like someone was watching us. But it's nothing. Let's go." She continued on, leaving Jeremy and Damon behind to watch her in confusion, before they again began to follow.

All of a sudden, the sound of cracking leaves and the snapping of tree branches under someone's feet behind them, forced all eleven of them to come to an instant stop.

"Dear Bonnie Bennett, this is the second time that you've made me attend your funeral, and I really do not appreciate it. Don't you know what you're doing to my love life here? I mean, I'm not the most romantic of individuals, but even I know that funerals can really dampen the mood, especially after just getting engaged. So thanks for that. But, in hindsight this is probably just your way of keeping me in check, and I do suppose, I owe you one, so I guess I'll let it slide this one last time."

They all froze, listening to the voice behind them; a voice full of amusement, kindness and tears as she read aloud the letter, a letter unmistakably written by Damon.

"In all seriousness," she continued reading, "I owe you everything, Bonnie, and I'm not sure if I ever got to truly say thank you for what you did. So thank you…"

They slowly turned around, continuing to listen to her words as they washed over them, stopping their hearts and illuminating their souls.

"Not just for saving my life, because my life is ultimately useless, but because you brought me back to her. You've met me. You know me. You were stuck with me. And only you can testify as to how utterly and completely useless I am without her."

At the sight of Bonnie before them, Elena felt her heat beginning to quicken in disbelief, her hand crushing Damon's in shock. There she was, standing approximately twenty feet in front of them holding what appeared to be pages and pages of letters; all still completely intact and un-burnt.

"But the problem, Bonnie, is that we are all pretty useless without you. I mean, I'm sure you've got a record book of all the times you've saved our asses by now. You've surely been keeping tabs of all the favors we owe you, right?" She let out a small laugh that was muffled by tears. "No. Probably not, because that just wasn't who you were. You didn't hold grudges, even when you should have. You didn't dwell on past mistakes, even if they still haunted you. You didn't give up on people, even when they'd given up on you. It just wasn't who you were. It's not who you are – yes present tense, because I know you're still there. You don't give into death that easily, Bonnie Bennett. I would know. So many memorials and all…" Her voice slowly trailed off as she let out another small laugh. "You are a fighter, Bonnie. Don't ever forget that. Don't ever forget that you are powerful and strong and capable. No matter where you are now, no matter what happens, we will remember you. We will always be grateful for the life you gave us. Because in the end, you didn't just save us from our enemies or from disappearing into oblivion, you saved us from ourselves. You saved us all from becoming the worst possible versions of ourselves, and for that, we owe you everything. So take care, Bonnie, and don't forget to check in every once in a while, okay? If not for me, than for Jeremy and Elena. I know they'll be expecting to hear from you. We all will. Oh, and that promise I made to you? I promise to always keep it. You know me… I never break a promise. Sincerely, your forever frenemy, Damon Salvatore."

She slowly lowered the letter, her eyes full of amusement and tears as she shook her head in Damon's direction.

"Bonnie?" she heard Jeremy say, barely above a whisper. They all watched her as she held up another letter before slowly pulling it close to her heart.

"This one," she said softly, her voice shaking as she stared at him, "was my absolute favorite."

Their eyes lingered on each other for a fleeting moment, completely dazed as they smiled at each other in disbelief.

And then, in a flash, Jeremy was running towards her, lifting her up in his arms. Her legs tangled around his waist as he held onto her tightly, running a hand through her hair, kissing her, squeezing her as tears continued to stream down her face.

Elena's hand had risen to her mouth in shock. She felt like she was living a dream as she watched them. She slowly turned to look at Caroline, who stood in equal disbelief behind her.

Before she knew it, they were all rushing towards her. Jeremy slowly lowered her back to the ground so that they could each hug her. As Elena threw her arms around Bonnie, she felt her body giving into happy sobs as the reality of holding her best friend began to sink in. This was happening. Bonnie was back.

"How?" She couldn't finish the question as Bonnie squeezed her neck tightly.

"You're engaged?" Bonnie giggled against her ear.

"That's the first thing you want to ask me?" Elena cried against her shoulder.

Bonnie nodded before pulling away, absolutely beaming at her as happy tears continued to fill her eyes. Elena slowly stepped aside as she allowed Caroline and Stefan, and then Damon to move in for their hug.

"You just had to read that out loud, didn't you?" Damon jabbed, squeezing her tightly.

"You know I did," she grinned against his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't save you," he whispered sincerely.

Bonnie slowly pulled away and placed her hands on his shoulders intently. "You did save me," she acknowledged. "You're words. The night I sent you back? They were everything, Damon."

He nodded in sincere appreciation, before finally stepping aside, allowing Jeremy to once again move in to hold her.

Elena felt herself leaning into Damon, watching them in sheer disbelief and amazement.

"How are you here?" Jeremy asked between kissing her. "This isn't a dream again, is it?"

She smiled before turning to acknowledge each of them, who all equally longed to hear the explanation behind her miraculous appearance.

"Magic always finds a balance," she said softly. "This was always how it was supposed to be. This is what Grams had intended when she promised I'd find peace. Things just got complicated along the way."

They all looked at each other in confusion.

"A balance," acknowledged Ric, seeming to understand. "Like the balance of killing another witch… the witch you were connected to."

She nodded, as did he. It wasn't a question; it was a statement of understanding.

"Lucy and I were tethered together by magic," said Bonnie softly, "and despite her ambition for control, or her power hungry ways… she did care about me."

Damon snorted, but she ignored him.

"She made a promise to Grams that she would protect me, and she did. She made an assurance with the Spirits that, should anything happen to her, nothing would happen to me. She traded her life for mine. She's the reason I'm here."

Damon sighed and clicked his teeth. "Well… Alaric helped… some."

Bonnie smiled at them both. "Thank you."

"God, I can't believe you're here," cried Caroline as she threw her arms around her one more time.

"I've missed you," smiled Bonnie onto her shoulder. "Thanks for taking care of everyone."

"Well someone had to," she grinned.

"So," said Bonnie, pulling away from her to examine everyone. "You two are a couple now," she said, pointing to Caroline and Stefan, who both grinned slyly. "You're the new teacher," she pointed at Ric. "You're the new sheriff, dating the new witch," she pointed to Matt and Jessa who both smiled bashfully.

"Deputy," corrected Matt.

Bonnie shrugged before continuing. "You two are the official keepers of all things magical now," she pointed at Luke and Liv. "You're slowly getting the hang of this whole human thing again," she smiled at Tyler. "And you two are engaged?" She pointed at Damon and Elena.

Everyone in the crowd suddenly turned to look at them. "What? I've kept up!" She smirked, repeating her statement from her first trip back from the dead.

"Wait, what?" said Jeremy, quickly looking to his sister. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"When between all the funerals and resurrections? Sorry. Been a little busy," snapped Damon playfully, before wrapping an arm around Elena.

"You're not even going to ask for permission? I mean, Elena's practically a daughter to me," jabbed Ric as he moved forward to hug his best friend.

"Why, so you could say no?"

"Damn, right," chuckled Ric, patting him on the back.

"Well you could have at least told me," smiled Stefan, slowly approaching his brother.

"Well, you know how these things go. Pesky love triangles and all."

"No more love triangles," chimed in Caroline with a grin. "Ever."

"Deal," smirked Stefan before hugging his brother. "I'm happy for you. Truly."

"Thanks, Stefan," said Damon sincerely, before acknowledging Caroline. "You too."

Elena was so busy watching and appreciating Damon and Stefan's moment that she was completely caught off guard when Caroline and Bonnie both threw their arms around her again.

"Oh my God we have so much to plan!" shrieked Caroline. "The flowers, the dress, the venue, the cake! Agh! It's going to be epic! I'll plan everything! Oh my God! We can be your bridesmaids! All of us!"

"Oh no," said Damon under his breath as Elena playfully jabbed him with her elbow. She couldn't help but laugh as she watched Caroline fall back into her familiar, overachieving, party-planning self; a personality trait that she now loved and adored. She just didn't have the heart to tell her that the odds of her and Damon holding out for a big wedding were slim to none. Hell, she'd be lucky if they weren't on a plane to Vegas tonight. But she smiled at her, nonetheless.

Discussion eventually, and thankfully, shifted back to Bonnie as everyone continued to hug her and ask her questions about her time on the Other Side, until finally, everyone began to make their way back towards the Boarding House.

As Caroline and Stefan, followed by Liv and Tyler, Jessa and Matt, and Bonnie and Jeremy began to leave the cemetery, Elena quickly grabbed hold of Damon's hand, forcing him to stay back with her.

Ric smiled, shaking his head in understanding. He quickly moved in to give her a hug. "I told you we'd get through it." She squeezed his shoulder tightly.

"Thank you for everything, Ric," she said softly. "And in case I haven't told you yet, thank you for sticking by us. For a moment there, I'd forgotten what it was like to have a family."

Ric nodded, continuing to hug her. When he finally pulled away, she could have sworn there were tears behind his eyes. "You take care of her, okay?" He said, turning to Damon. "No more blowing her up!"

"I promise," Damon chuckled, "I won't be making that mistake again."

"And you still owe me that drink!" He grinned, pointing at him before following the other's lead in exiting the cemetery.

"Dick." Damon shook his head in laughter before finally turning back to look at Elena. "Sorry."

She shrugged, incapable of removing the smile from her face. She quickly stood on her tiptoes until she had her arms fully wrapped around his neck and she was kissing him. "For what?"

"I'm not sure, but there's probably something to apologize for. I'm just covering all my bases."

"I watched an old movie once that said 'love means never having to say you're sorry,'" she giggled.

"You're kidding, right?" He chuckled. "Have you met us? We're the definition of 'I'm sorry.' It's like, what our entire relationship is built on. It's just what we do."

She smiled. "You screw up, I forgive you?"

"Hey now! You, my lady, are no angel."

"But you forgive me, anyway? Even when I don't deserve it? Right?" She smiled, but her voice was hesitant.

He grinned and leaned his forehead against hers. "Always."

"So... no more walking away?"

"Never."

"And no more,"

"One night stands with douchey frat guys?" he interrupted.

"Ever. No more lashing out and killing my friends?"

"Nope. And no more supernaturally planted, or otherwise, dreams about my brother?"

"Or sleeping with my endless array of doppelgängers?"

"Gross," he chuckled. "Or using the dreaded 'friend' word ever, ever again?"

"Or snapping necks just because you're in a bad moon?"

"Hmmm," he thought for a moment. "Fine. Just as long as you never lose your memories, get impersonated, or body hijacked ever again?"

"No promises… but I'll see what I can do," she laughed.

"Deal," he grinned.

"Deal," she smiled, tangling her fingers into his dark hair. "Good."

"Good," he challenged back, his hands locking around her waist.

She leaned up to kiss him one more time, before resting her head against his chest. "Thank you for today."

"Yeah well, a resurrected Bonnie wasn't exactly on the agenda, nor was writing a letter that she can now forever use against me, but what can I say? I'm an overachiever."

"I'm serious," she laughed, playfully hitting his chest. "The letters were a great idea. I should have thought of it. I feel guilty that I didn't."

"Why? Just because you were the only one Bonnie ever thought to send burning messages to? I was paying attention that day, Gilbert."

She laughed again. "No, because that day was such an important day for all of us."

"Yeah, well," he held her tighter, resting his chin on the top of her head. "We thought Trevor and Rose were going to kill you. It wasn't exactly forgettable... well, for you maybe."

She laughed and playfully hit him again. "Not just because of that," she said more seriously, slowly pulling away from his embrace so that she could look him in the eyes. "That was the day that everything changed."

"What do you mean?"

"That was the beginning of the sun and the moon curse. It was the beginning of Klaus and Elijah and all of the Originals coming to town. It was when Jeremy began to fall in love with Bonnie…" her voice trailed off. "It was when I first saw that you'd do anything for me. It was the day that everything between us began to change, the day I nearly ran into your arms instead of Stefan's, the day you told me you loved me…. I should have remembered."

She could tell that he was no longer sure if they were talking about Bonnie's letter or her memories, but decided to reassure her with a kiss anyway. "I loved you then, and I love you now, Elena. The details in between are insignificant. All that matters is that we made it here. Finally!" He grinned as he suddenly twirled her around, causing her to laugh, before pulling her back into a deep kiss.

He was right. Their love had defied the limits and the expectations of death. They had overcome the impossible by simply refusing to give into the notion that the other was just too far gone or too impossibly out of reach. They'd refused to accept the romantically, fated version of their love story: that death was the end, and that all that could remain were faded memories and imagined ghosts to have one-sided conversations with. No, their love had pushed the boundaries and redefined the limits of possible. Their love was the definition of faith, the definition of hope.

And as he took her hand and they made their way after the others, they began to make plans, plans much too important to wait. She longed for a girl's weekend away with Caroline and Bonnie. He longed for some quality time with his brother, Alaric, and "hell," he laughed, "maybe even Enzo." But most of all, they longed to make up for the long lost time away from one another.

Not much else mattered. Not the troubles of their past or the uncertainties of their future, because he was right.

All events, both preceding and unforeseen, were irrelevant, for two things were officially, truly and undoubtedly certain: she was Elena Gilbert and she was, and would forever be, in love with Damon Salvatore.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Oh, and Happy TVD Thursday! :)