AN: The final chapter, guys! Wow. This has been great. I actually don't want it to end, but it is. This will probably be my shortest chapter too. But, thanks guys for all the great reviews. I'm so glad that you guys were so willing to help me and you guys wanted to help out. You all are awesome. After this, I will be starting the 100 fanfic challenge. So, if you guys like my writing, I'd love for you to hang around while it's happening. I think it'll be a lot of fun to write, and I hope it'll be fun to read. So here's to the final chapter *raises glass* This isn't for a specific reviewer. It's to everyone! Thanks for sticking around guys. I love you all! And so does Damon. He loves us all too! He just…. Doesn't want to admit it… yet. Okay, before I get too creepy, the "thanks to whoever reviewer" will be at the end of this chapter since I'm starting this directly after I posted the last chapter so it's not enough time for you guys to review. Also, I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! Disclaimer: This series isn't mine. If it was, I'd more than likely have better things to do with my time. Trust me, I own crap. (Was my disclaimer different in every chaper) Okay well here you guys go. (Just be thankful that this is the last long, and annoying authors note) Alaric's Point of View
Alaric jumped when his phone went off. He quickly pulled it out of his pocket and hit "ignore". He glanced over at Damon, worried that the noise woke him up but the vampire was still in the same position, breathing softly.
Stepping outside he checked his phone to see who it was that called. Elena. "Great," Alaric muttered. He had forgotten to tell Elena that Damon had gotten the cure the previous night. She must be out of her mind with worry. He quickly called her back.
"Alaric!" she yelled picking up on the first ring. "Where are you? What's going on? Is Damon okay?"
"I'm at Damon's house, nothing really, and yeah, he's sleeping." Alaric answered all her questions at once. He heard a sigh of relief on the other end.
"Thank God," Elena breathed. "I was worried out of my mind. You should have told me, Ric."
"I know," Ric said. "I'm sorry. After Damon fell asleep I sort of followed right after."
"So what happened?"
Alaric swallowed. He was tired of keeping things from her. "Katherine delivered the cure."
"What? Why Katherine? What about Stefan?" Her worry was building up with each question she asked.
"Elena, I'm just going to be honest with you."
"That's all I ask, Alaric."
"Klaus has Stefan still," he explained sadly. "Before you ask for details, I don't have any. All Katherine said was something about not seeing Stefan for a long time."
Elena was silent for a while. "When do we make our move?" she asked after the long pause.
"I'm sure Damon would kill us if he found out we went searching for Stefan without him," Alaric said.
"You're probably right. So how is he?"
Alaric sighed. "Well, it's hard to say. It was a long night for him, so he's still sleeping."
"I'm coming over," Elena said. "I'll be there as soon as I can. Will you call me if they're any changes?"
"Yeah, sure of course."The two of them hung up and Alaric ran his hands through his hair. It had certainly been a long past few days. He put the phone back in his pocket before he returned to Damon's room.
Damon was still completely out. Worried, Alaric walked over to him. Damon was looking a lot better. His skin tone wasn't so grey anymore and his breathing was a lot more even and calm. He thought about checking on his arm to see how well it was healing, but he didn't want to risk waking him. He was wondering what to do next, when Damon stirred. Alaric stared at the bed for a few seconds, not sure if he was actually awake or not.
"Ric?" Damon asked.
"Yeah, it's me," Alaric said kneeling down beside the bed.
Damon groaned and sat up. He looked down at himself and frowned. "Please tell me that's water all over me."
Alaric shook his head. "It's not water. That's your own sweat."
"Oh, that's just disgusting." Damon said, lying down again.
Alaric laughed. "Pull up your sleeve. I need to see how well the bite is healing."
Damon pulled up his sleeve and Alaric gently grabbed his arm and examined it. "It's looking a lot better," he told him. It was, too. It was no longer the color of a bruise, it was now just a faded red color. "Does it still hurt?"
"A little," Damon admitted. "But I'll live."
Alaric smiled. "Yeah. Yeah you will."
Damon sat up again. "Stefan."
"We'll worry about that later," Alaric promised. "But Elena's on her way and if she sees you running around like this, she'll probably slap me across the face. Again. So we need to just focus on you fully healing, then we'll worry about Stefan. We have to take this one step at a time."
Damon shook his head. "We might not have time. Stefan is out there because of me, Ric."
Alaric put a hand on his friends shoulder. "I know. So let's make sure it isn't for nothing."
Damon sighed. "You're impossible."
"And you have no room to talk."
"I'm a prideful vampire. What's your excuse?"
Alaric laughed. "Nothing near that good. Now back to important matters: how much do you remember from last night?
"Not much," Damon admitted. "Just the part about Stefan and some parts when I was with Elena…" his voice trailed off. Alaric grinned knowing what stopped Damon.
"Was she that bad of a kisser?"
Damon glared at him. "How did you-"
Elena-like you blabs. Except unlike you, she doesn't do it when she's drunk. She only does it when she's really upset."
Damon groaned. "You can't tell anyone about the kiss."
"Who would I honestly tell? Stefan? Because even I'm not that big of an idiot."
"You drunk talk, too, Ric," Damon said, making Alaric smile again. "Is it a little warm in here?" Damon asked suddenly.
"No," Alaric said, giving him a puzzled look. Then he realized what was probably wrong. "You might still have a bit of a fever," Alaric said, becoming just slightly worried.
"Great," Damon groaned.
"I'll be right back. I'll try to bring it down a little." He went over to the bathroom and wetted down a washcloth with cold water and returned to Damon. He ran the washcloth across him forehead and down his cheeks. "Let's hope that helps you a bit."
"You said Elena was coming?" Damon asked.
"Yeah," Alaric said. Damon groaned. "Damon, it's not like you two wouldn't have to face each other eventually anyway."
"I know, I know."
Alaric patted his shoulder. "Are you up for blood? Or should we wait?"
Damon sat up. "I think I'm up for it."
"Are you sure? Because I'd rather not watch you puke up blood. That was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen."
"Yeah, I'll be good," Damon said. Alaric nodded and went and got the blood bag that was left over from last night. He tore it open and handed it to Damon who drank it slowly and cautiously.
"Do you need another one?" Alaric asked and Damon nodded. Alaric ran down to the basement and grabbed two more in case. He hurried back up the stairs, into Damon's bedroom. He found Damon sitting up, looking a lot better.
"Here," Alaric said, handing Damon a newly torn bag of blood. Damon was able to drink this one less hesitantly and quicker. Alaric handed him the other bag of blood, and Damon drink it too. "If you need more, just tell me."
"I think I'll be good for now," Damon said.
"Do you think you can walk?" Alaric asked.
Damon pushed back the covers and swung his feet over the edge of the bed. Putting his hand on the wall, he slowly stood up when suddenly his knees almost gave out and Alaric found himself running over and helping him stay steady.
"I'll help you make it downstairs," Alaric said.
"Sounds good to me," Damon said. He looked back at his bed. "I was getting tired of lying in a bed that's covered in my sweat and blood that I'm pretty sure came out of me."
Alaric smiled. He allowed Damon to lean against him as they made it out of his room and down the stairs. He sighed in relief when they were in the living room and he set Damon gently on the couch.
"Better?" he asked him.
"Much," Damon said smiling. There was a long silence before Damon spoke up. "Look, Ric. I know I've done things that I shouldn't have done that ended up hurting you. I'm surprised that you came to my aide when you did."
"What are you saying?" Alaric said smiling.
"You're not going to let this go until I say It out loud, are you?"
Alaric shook his head no.
Damon smiled. "Thanks, Ric."
Alaric put his hand on Damon's shoulder. "Sure thing, Buddy." That's when Elena came through the door. She stepped into the living room and looked at Damon.
"Are you doing any better?" she asked.
"Well I'm downstairs, aren't I?"
She smiled. "I'm really glad you're okay, Damon."
"No." Damon looked at both of them. "Do not make this more emotional than this needs to be. I've had enough crying," he looked at Alaric "and enough sympathetic kissing," he glanced over at Elena "to last me a whole year."
Alaric laughed. "Too bad I'm not a vampire. I could have given you a sweet dream that had sun and dancing and racing."
Damon looked at him. "How did you know about the dream I gave Rose?"
"I told you, you're a drunk talker."
Damon rolled his eyes. "I really need to stop drinking with you."
Alaric laughed again. "Yeah, you'd miss me too much."
Damon shook his head. "I think you're the one that would miss me. I'm not the one who was going crazy over the past few days."
"Alright, fine," Alaric said. "Turn me into a vampire then have Tyler Lockwood bite me and see how you handle the situation."
Damon smiled. "Don't tempt me."
"You'd go crazy like I did."
"Maybe." Damon said. That's all he gave Alaric was a "maybe". Honestly, though. That was just fine. Because Alaric knew that "maybe" to Damon was worth a whole lot more than what it said.
The End! AN: It's done. Wow. My life feels incomplete now. So, I will start the 100 fanfic challenge this Sunday or Monday. One of the two. And I will see how things go from there. I really hope all of you guys check it out, and are there to read the first one the day it comes out. Now before I forget, like I said, this chapter was just dedicated to everyone. However; shout out to Latura who honestly, I think is my mystery guest that I loved so much because that review and the other one I loved so much have similarities. And if it's not, thanks for the great review! You're awesome. Anyway, thanks again guys, this was so much fun. I just love torturing Damon. I'm actually mentally making a fanfiction where he gets kidnapped by Klaus. Haha! My mind just won't leave the poor vampire alone. Should I write it? And it will actually be a sequel to this, because it will be while Stefan's away and will have some moments where they talk about what happened in this story! So, I'd love to hear what you think of that. Should I? Or should I not? Haha. One last thing: Thanks not only to the people who reviews, but to everyone! Even those people who skim through chapters and say, "this is stupid" then quits. I love you too! Thanks anyway for trying it! Though if they did that, I don't know why they would be reading some random author's note at the end of the very last chapter. How many people actually read these? Haha. Good-bye for now!
~Fangurl000