The Vampire Diaries: He's The Air She Would Kill To Breathe

His Saving Grace

Once finally back home, Damon and Elena locked themselves in their room while Jenna got settled in back at Jeremy's house. They had a little bit before she and the other family members came over for a small memorial service. Damon was sitting broken hearted and miserable at the foot of their bed while Elena wrapped her arms around him and stroked his raven colored hair. Silent manly tears escaped and Damon's body shook softly, however refusing to make any noise. Elena knew better than to comment, simply trying to think of a way to cheer him up a little.

"Heaven's gift to me, just the way you are. A new aged child, always in my heart." Dam tried to smile but couldn't and the pained voice that escaped his lips nearly tore her heart in half.

"Don't Elena," He whispered.

"I can't do this. All the years I spent hating him…I wish I could take it all back. I wish that Katherine had never done this to us, that we could have remained the best friend type of brothers that we'd always been. Stefan never wanted to be a vampire anyway, he should have gotten to live a normal human life, we both should have. I should have died in the war, with honor, so I'd never live to see the day my baby brother took his last breath." A tear slowly slid down Elena's cheek and she pulled him as close as possible.

"Don't say that. If you'd died in the war you'd have caused Stefan pain, all this pain that you feel would have been put off on him. I know you don't really want that." Damon shook his head.

"Yes I do, Elena. Because I am that selfish. Stefan was always better at handling grief than me anyway…I, I do stupid things when I'm upset and you know that." She sighed and leaned in to kiss his temple in comfort.

"You haven't this time. You aren't the same person you were when I met you, Damon. You don't do things to sabotage yourself anymore, you're less reckless, which I think becoming a father did to you, and you always put your family above anything else. I know this hurts, I've lost a lot of people I care about too. But we can get through this, together." Damon turned his tear-streaked face to his wife and very tenderly captured her lips.

"I love you so much, Elena. I've been a terrible person, I make all the wrong choices and yet you've stuck by my side through every bit of it. The only thing I don't regret about becoming a vampire is getting the opportunity to fall in love with you and have children with you. You're my princess of darkness, and I have you all to my self for as many life times as you'll allow. That's the one thing I could never regret, ever." Elena smiled as Damon rubbed her baby bump and stood to unlock their bedroom door, which someone had been banging on.

"Daddy, someone's at the door." Feeling a little better, he chuckled and ruffled his sons hair.

"Thanks, Ian, I'll go get it." Elena followed behind him and took Ian's hand, the three surviving Salvatore's all heading into the foyer. It was Jenna, Jeremy, Adriana, Bonnie, Kol, and Alaric.

"Damn, Jen, you weren't kidding when you said the entire family was coming over." Jenna beamed and Damon noticed that she was holding Alaric's hand.

"I got her back, Damon. I got her back." Alaric whispered with tears in his eyes. Damon shot his friend a goofy grin and pulled him into a hug.

"Congrats, man, I know how much you love her." Alaric grinned back and whispered.

"No kidding, I'm planning on proposing tonight." Damon winked proudly and then ushered them all into the house. Katherine, Mason, and Scarlett heard all the ruckus and joined them too, causing Elena to have to get a lot of dinning room chairs to seat everyone. Damon was standing with a bottle of whiskey raised in the air, a large picture of Stefan propped up beside him.

"I don't have much to say. He was my brother and I'm gunna miss him like hell. But he was also a self righteous little sac of balls, and I hope that if he can hear me right now he knows that if and when I die I will kick his ass all over The Other Side for leaving me. For leaving us." Damon had an awkward expression on his face, and his voice was raised a little louder than he'd meant for it to be.