This is it! The last chapter...enjoy!

Time seemed to be frozen in place for Damon. Ever since he had pulled Elena from that burning house, everything passed in slow motion. Every second she was unconscious seemed like an eternity to him. They had all come back to the Boarding House. Caroline placed an unconscious Bonnie on the couch in the parlor and called her mom before leaving with Tyler. Damon grabbed a handful of blood bags and took Elena to his room. He fed her the blood, washed the ash from her with a warm wash cloth, and then changed her into a pair of his sweats.

She now lay unconscious in his bed. For the past three hours, Damon had sat by her side, rubbing circles into her hand with his thumb. He vaguely remembered Abby coming in to tell him of a spell Bonnie had used to draw power from Elena. Apparently it had tied the two girls together, and both would remain unconscious until one of them decided to wake up. That was just great. Somehow it always came back to an awry spell performed by a determined Bonnie, and a more than willing Elena to risk her own life to help the rest of the world. He shook his head. Although her unfailing devotion to her loved ones was one of the very things he fell in love with, it still drove him completely mad. How many more times in their future together would he have to helplessly sit by her side, worried that she would never come back to him?

He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it softly.

"You need to open your eyes, Sleeping Beauty. You need to come back to me. Who else is going to call me out on all my crap? And shamelessly flirt with me? And cook bad chili with me? And have pillow talks with me? And be willing to risk their life for mine? And out drink me in shots? And run in the rain with me? And pull me back from the edge? And still find a way to see the good in me even after all of the terrible things I've done? Who will love me?" He paused, letting out a breath. "No one else, Elena. I need you."

Damon reached out and stroked her cheek.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but you need to come back so we can get to all of that snuggling you love so much." He smirked. "Just come back."

She didn't open her eyes. He was running out of ideas, but he knew he couldn't rely on Bonnie to wake up first. Then he thought of something-Sleeping Beauty. She was the one that woke up when her prince kissed her, right? The idea seemed completely absurd to him, but he was desperate, and he never knew what those crazy witches came up with in all those books of theirs. True love's kiss seemed way more reasonable than half of the stuff Bonnie came up with.

He figured it was worth a shot. He stood and leaned over Elena.

"I love you." And he placed the tenderest kiss on her lips.

Damon pulled back, but nothing about her had changed.

There was a knock on the door. "Damon?" Stefan said before entering.

Damon turned to face his brother. "Where have you been?"

"Connor's dead." Stefan quietly stated.

"That was faster than I expected. How'd that happen?"

"While taking him to the station, he tried to attack Sheriff Forbes, so her deputies put him down. Three prominent council members witnessed it." Stefan explained.

Damon raised his eyebrows. "One of our plans actually worked out? I'm shocked."

"Do you think it's enough to get the council off our backs?"

"I think it'll make them question what they know. Unfortunately, we don't know how much they actually know about us. Just another problem to add to our growing list." Damon frowned.

Stefan took a few steps closer. "I talked to Abby downstairs…she told me what happened."

"So she told you Klaus was nowhere to be found? And Elena risked her life, yet again?" Damon replied bitterly.

"She's going to be fine, Damon." Stefan tried to reassure.

Damon just nodded.

"I've decided to keep our agreement." Stefan unexpectedly said.

"What agreement?"

"The one where the brother she doesn't choose leaves town."

Damon didn't know what to say. So much had happened since that conversation, he had almost completely forgotten it.

"She loves you, Damon. And I know you love her more than anything. So, I'm gonna leave tomorrow." Stefan concluded and he turned to leave the room.

Damon was about to let him walk out, but then he glanced back at Elena, and heard her voice in his head. He closed his eyes, not believing what he was about to do, but knowing it was the right thing.

"Stefan, wait."

Stefan stopped in the doorway and turned back.

"You don't have to do that." Stefan's silence made him continue. "If you are leaving because it's what's best for you then I won't stop you. But don't leave because of me and some stupid deal we made. Elena needs you…she's gonna need all her friends to remind her of her humanity. And Vampire Barbie needs you for…whatever you two have. And the town needs you because Klaus might just decide to drop in…"

"And you might need me?" Stefan interrupted.

Damon scoffed. "Don't push your luck." He sarcastically answered, even though they both knew Stefan was right.

"I am sorry, Damon. For the choice I made that night. I know you said you won't ever forgive me, but we were almost back to being brothers again. I just hope we can get back to that someday."

"Me too, Stefan." Damon sincerely agreed.

Stefan offered a small smile. "I won't leave. But I will make myself scarce for when she does wake up." And he walked out of the room.

Damon stared at the empty doorway for a moment with a small smile on his face. Stefan was still his little brother.

"I'm really proud of you." A small voice made Damon inwardly jump. He whirled around to see Elena smiling at him. His small smile turned into a huge grin.

"Elena." He sat on the edge of the bed and kissed her.

"It's good to see you too." She whispered.

He pulled back. "So you woke up just to hear me and Stefan bond?" He incredulously asked.

She shook her head. "Actually I woke up to return the kiss."

Damon widened his eyes. No way had that actually worked… he would have to try that one more often.

"Is everyone okay?" Elena suddenly asked with concern etched on her face.

He nodded. "Tyler is fine and safely back with Blondie. And I'm assuming Bonnie is awake now that you are."

She questioned him with his eyes.

"That spell you agreed to? It linked the two of you together." She couldn't help but notice the resentment in his voice.

"You're angry…" Elena observed.

He looked down. "I'm not angry, Elena. I know that helping people is a part of who you are and I can live with that, but I can't live with you not including me in such risky decisions. I hate feeling helpless."

Elena squeezed his hand. "I'm sorry, Damon. I was going to tell you, but Klaus made me get off the phone..." Her eyes widened. "Klaus! Where is he?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. He wasn't in the witches' house when I went in to get you."

"So he's still out there?"

Damon kissed her hands. "Let's not talk about him right now, okay? Instead, I have to fulfill a certain request of yours." He climbed into the bed behind her and wrapped his strong arms around her.

"To hold me in your arms." Elena grinned and relaxed against his chest.

"Can we not leave any more ominous notes for each other, though? I'd much rather just talk to you."

She nodded. "I think I can manage that. I am sorry, Damon."

He tightened his grip. "As long as we're on the same page now, and you're okay, it doesn't matter."

She relished the feeling of him holding her.

"Thank you for saving me, again." Elena quietly said.

He whispered in her ear. "I'll always choose you."

When Elena woke up the next morning, the bed was empty. She sat up to see if Damon was somewhere else in the room, but he was nowhere in sight. She frowned. She had expected to just lie in each other's arms all day, considering the past few trying days they had. Where could he have gone? She then heard a clinking noise from downstairs. Filled with curiosity, Elena hopped out of bed, combed her hair, and ventured out of Damon's bedroom.

She reached the living room when someone grabbed her waist from behind.

"Good morning, beautiful." Damon's low voice greeted her.

She leaned into his touch and bare chest. "Good morning." She replied sweetly.

"I have a surprise for you." He smiled and took her by the hand.

"A surprise? Look, Damon, don't think you're gonna suck up just so you can get out of morning snuggling…" She stopped in her tracks when they reached the dining room.

The table was set for the pair of them, each plate filled with eggs and French toast, and candles were lit among red rose pedals covering the table.

"Damon. This is amazing." Was all she managed to say.

He simply smiled and pulled her chair out for her.

"I figured we could both use some food." He sat down. "And a first date." He sincerely added.

"So a southern gentleman and a romantic? You continue to impress me." Elena grinned.

"I aim to please." He replied with that flirty, little eye-thing Elena loved so much.

She then noticed the three crystal glasses sitting in front of her: orange juice, coffee, and blood.

"And you thought of everything." She laughed.

"You deserve the best." He winked and they dug into their food.

Once they were finished, Elena leaned back in her seat, completely full.

"That was better than Thanksgiving. Thank you." She took Damon's hand in hers.

He squeezed it in return. "Of course."

"I want it to always be like this." Elena thoughtfully said.

Damon stared at her intently. "It can always be like this."

She sighed. "Klaus is out there, Damon. And before we performed the spell, he told me that becoming a vampire had given me the same fate as Katherine…which I can only assume means an eternity of misery."

He reached over and held her chin. "It's not the same fate as Katherine's because you have something she never did."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Me." He offered a small smile.

"That's what worries me. He won't hesitate to kill you, Damon. And I don't think I can live an eternity without you in it." She sadly said.

"Hey." He knelt down in front of her. "We will deal with Klaus and we will survive like we always have. Okay? We have each other, which makes us stronger." He tried to reassure her.

She softly smiled and nodded.

"I have something for you." He stood, sped out of the room, and returned with a velvet box.

Elena looked at it. "Damon, what is this?"

"Just open it."

She did as he asked, and gasped at the bracelet inside. It was made up of white-gold woven vines encrusted with diamonds and sapphires.

"It was my mother's." Damon whispered. "She would've loved you."

Tears filled in the corners of Elena's eyes. He rarely talked about his mother, but she knew how much he loved her.

"It's gorgeous, Damon. But I could never take this from you."

"Elena, I want you to have it. My mother would've wanted the woman I love to wear it, not let it collect dust somewhere." He gently pulled the bracelet out of the box. "I wanted to find a way to make us…official. I know that sounds like something an angsty teenage boy would say, but so much has happened since you said you loved me, and we never really had time to talk about where exactly we stood. I just wanted you to have something that would mean I was yours and you were mine." He paused. "But if you changed your mind, I'd be crushed, but I would understand."

Elena stared at him for the longest time, completely amazed by the man in front of her. He was always so strong and intrepid on the outside, but inside was just a vulnerable human boy who wanted to be loved as much as he loved her. And God, did she love him.

She cupped his face with her hands.

"You better put the bracelet on me and start believing that I am completely yours in every way imaginable." She fiercely said with nothing but love in her eyes.

A genuine smile filled his face as he placed the bracelet around her wrist.

"Perfect fit." He whispered before crashing his lips onto hers.

All the passion and love they felt for one another exploded. He lifted her out of her seat as she wrapped her legs around his hips, their kiss never breaking. He carried her to his bedroom and laid her on the bed. Her hands grasped his hair and the back of his neck, while his roamed over her whole body. He placed kisses down her jawline and neck while her hands explored every muscle in his chest and stomach. She brought his mouth back to hers and kissed him like she had never kissed anyone in her life. They made love and claimed each other as their own in every way. It was the most perfect moment Elena had ever experienced. And it felt like Damon was actually making real love for the first time.

Once they had finished, they laid in each other's embrace, their legs tangled within the sheets. Damon ran his hand through her hair, as Elena lazily drew circles on his bare chest.

"I've never felt more human than I do right now." Damon contently admitted. "I can never thank you enough for giving me that. I love you, Elena."

Elena let a tear fall onto his chest. "I love you more than anything."

It was then that she heard the soft patter on his bay windows; the sound that had always been able to make her feel human for as long as she could remember. Now she had something else to remind her of her humanity: Damon's love.

She looked up at Damon and sweetly smiled.

"It's raining."

THE END

I wanted to bring the story full circle. Now it's over! I can't believe how far this story has come from my original two-shot. Thank you to everyone who gave my story a chance and read it...you have all helped to make my first story a success! A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to review, I love you all!

Any last thoughts or overall opinions of the story? Review :)

Hopefully you'll see more work from me soon!