Crush // Ian Somerhalder

141 - Real Life

"Babe, quick. The last part's about to start," Skye shouted to Ian who was out making drinks in the kitchen.

The season 7 finale of TVD was airing on The CW, and the couple along with millions of others were watching it all unfold.

Yes, they technically knew what was going to happen, how it was going to play out. It was totally different watching the finished product though,
watching how it had all been edited together.

"I'm here. I'm here," Ian called back with a laugh, darting into their living room and taking a place on the couch next to Skye.

"I can't believe it's the end of another season already," Skye thought aloud, cozying up to Ian with both of their hands settling on Skye's now huge baby bump.

"It's definitely been an eventful one," Ian answered.

"And that was just behind the camera."

---THE VAMPIRE DIARIES---

Bonnie, now in full on vampire huntress mode was stalking the woods in search of her primary target.

Holly, her mark still burning in place on her chest was like a honing beacon, drawing Bonnie closer and closer with each passing minute.

With Holly now in hiding, a last ditch attempt to evade the wrath of her cursed best friend, it was left to one person to end it all, one person to not only protect his girl, but to also stop his closest friend from making the biggest mistake of her life.

Damon, bloody and battered was trying to keep Bonnie distracted for as long as possible. Stefan and the others were doing everything they could think of to lift the curse, to end Bonnie's agony and to ultimately save Holly and themselves.

For one glimmering moment Damon managed to overthrow Bonnie, putting her in a headlock and wrestling her to the ground where they now found themselves. With words of hatred being spat by the young Bennett witch, Damon found it hard to keep on task. He had to stop her, had to end this.

"The Bonnie that I knew is gone, and I don't know if she's ever coming back," Damon almost cried as Bonnie struggled in his grip.

"But I'm talking to you, crazy bitch Bonnie in all of her glory. I still care about you. Stop."

For a second, Damon thought he'd gotten through to her. After his words, Bonnie stilled, silenced, evened out her breathing. For the first time since the onslaught began there was a calmness, peace. If only it would have lasted.

Not wasting another moment, Bonnie turned the tables. Elbowing Damon in the face she managed to manoeuvre herself so that she was now straddling him on the damp forest floor. With Damon's head now rested upon a rotten tree stump, Bonnie was in the perfect position to end the eldest Salvatore once and for all.

Reaching into her back pocket as Damon squirmed beneath her, Bonnie pulled out a sharpened stake and proceeded to swing it towards Damon's chest.

"You've been so many things Bonnie. A witch. A human. A ghost." Damon choked in despair, managing to grab hold of Bonnie's wrists before the stake could pierce his heart.

Eyes wide and his "life" in the balance, visions of all those important began to flash through his mind. His friends, his brother, his Holly.

"You were an anchor to the afterlife. Now you're the woman who's going to kill me. Every time you come back stronger. Bonnie do you have any idea how much I envy you? Sometimes I can't even handle being myself."

"Stop talking," Bonnie seethed as Damon continued to struggle in desperation beneath her.

"I can't. If this is my last moment with you Bonnie Bennett I need you to hear me. I admire you. I believe in you. I love you."

At those words, Bonnie couldn't help but lose her concentration. Even in her current condition, Damon's admission cut straight through her. She was literally moments away from killing him, and there he was, telling her he loved her.

"I love you, the same way Elena did. The same way Holly does. If you kill me Bonnie, there will be nothing stopping you from getting to her. She'll be next. I need you to know Bon, because one day this will be over, the curse will be broken and you'll be full of guilt. It's not your fault. I did this to us."

Damon didn't see any way out of this. Even though Bonnie seemed to be listening to everything he was saying, she still wasn't giving in. The stake was still pressing into his chest. The murderous look still burned in her eyes. If this was it for him then he needed to have the last word, needed to get a final message to Holly.

"Please forgive me, before you do what you have to do. When you see Holly, tell her I love her. Tell her I'm sorry."

With Damon now resolved in his fate and cursed Bonnie still set to undertake her mission, it looked like it was all about to come to an end. Tears fell from both of their eyes, Damon's through pain, Bonnie's through anger.

Holding the stake high up in the air, Bonnie let out a strangled cry, ready and primed to give the final blow. With no fight left, Damon just laid there, waiting, dreading, visions of Holly firmly placed at the front of his mind.

Just as the the stake began to lower, a loud piercing noise suddenly entered the air in multiple bursts. Tranquillisers had embedded themselves into Bonnie's back and pulled her into unconsciousness, her body falling off to the side and therefore setting Damon free.

Damon couldn't grasp what had just happened. He'd been as close to death as he could possibly get, and yet once again had been saved in the nick of time. He was one lucky son of a bitch.

"Damon?" A familiar pain filled voice called through the darkness in his direction.

"Holly?" Damon returned, quickly checking on Bonnie before jumping to his feet and making his way over to his girlfriend.

"I thought I was too late," Holly openly cried as she jumped into Damon's shaking arms, his grip tightening around her in a sign of relief and comfort.

"You shouldn't have come back Holly. It's too dangerous."

"Bonnie almost killed you Damon. Do you seriously think I was going to let that happen?"

"I just wanted to keep you safe. I wanted to keep you both safe."

"I know you did baby, and I love you for that," Holly breathed out, her blurry eyes focusing on Damon's face as she pulled back to get a good look at him.

"Then why did you risk coming back?"

"Because maybe it's about time you let someone save you for a change."