01. I'll Remember

Four Months Later,

Aria sat in her children's nursery, lightly swaying her daughter, trying to get her to fall asleep.

"Once upon a time, there was a Princess, who fell in love with a Prince, a Prince who everyone warned her to stay away from, claiming he was bad for her, but despite everyone's warning, the Princess fell madly and deeply in love with the Prince, together they had to fight a lot of obstacles, they had to fight so many people that were against their love, but everytime their love won, they came out of it stronger then ever, and one day they had three little angels, and together the five of them lived happily ever after" Aria whispered.

Aria slowly stood up and carefully placed a now sleeping Mia into her crib, she looked into the other cribs and realised her sons were asleep as well, with a small smile on her face, Aria existed the nursery.

As Aria exited the nursery, Alaric entered the apartment, after coming back from the dead, Alaric ended up renting a apartment in Whitmore as none of them could go to Mystic Falls due to the anti magic border, and everyone decided it was for the best if Aria and the triplets lived with him, so after Finn, Alaric, Jeremy, Klaus and Elijah built the triplets nursery, Aria officially moved in with her adoptive father.

"Are they asleep?" Alaric asked, as Aria made herself a cup of tea.

Aria nodded, "Yeah, finally, I don't know why but recently they've been so restless".

"Is that why you look so exhausted?" Alaric asked.

"It's been a rough couple of days" Aria admitted.

"Go to sleep Aria, if any of them cry, I'll take care of them, you need your rest as well" Alaric said.

"I'm fine, Ric" Aria said, "If my calculations are right, there's about twenty minutes left in which Alec is going to start crying, which is then going to set Asher off as well".

"Aria, go rest, I've got them, and Jeremy's coming in a few minutes to meet the triplets, we both got this, go to sleep" Alaric said.

"You sure?" Aria asked.

"I'm sure" Alaric replied, "Believe it or not, I'm actually good with your kids".

Aria chuckled, "I believe it".

Aria grabbed her tea, and turned to Alaric, "If they become too much, tell me".

"I will" Alaric assured.

"Okay" Aria said, she walked into her room, which is right beside the triplets nursery, after making sure the silence spell was still up, making it so Alaric couldn't hear anything happening in her room, Aria walked over to dresser and pulled out a small packet of herbs from the drawer, she then poured the herbs into her tea and started drinking it.

After drinking her tea, Aria laid in her bed and stared at the ceiling, "Today was a exhausting day" she admitted, "It's hard taking care of the triplets by myself, and I know you're going to say I'm not alone, but I still feel like I am, the others have their own life, they can't be there for the triplets, that's my job, and I'm trying my best, but it's just so damn hard, summer is officially over, and if I hadn't dropped out of collage I was supposed to be in sophomore year, but I had to drop out, for the sake of ours kids and my sanity".

"Caroline has also dropped out of collage, she's trying to find a way to get rid of the anti magic border around Mystic Falls, Rebekah wanted to drop out but both me and Caroline refused, she's good at being a college student, and she deserves this experience after being alive for a thousand years, now on to some good news, Alaric Saltzman officially has a new job, he is now a college professor, to be fair he couldn't really compel himself a job back at the high school, because Mystic Falls is still off-limits, which sucks by the way, I wanted our kids to grow up in the boarding house, maybe one day they will, just not right now".

"Klaus, Finn and Elijah are back at New Orleans, but everyday they are chasing a new lead that will somehow bring you and Kol back, Klaus visits us a lot more then Finn and Elijah, mainly because of Caroline, but Finn and Elijah do video call often to see the triplets, claiming they don't want to miss too much of them growing up, which by the way, today marks our kids four months birthday, they are growing up way to fast for my liking".

Before Aria could continue, her phone started ringing, "Hold on, Rebekah is conference calling me and Caroline" she said, sitting up and answering her phone, "Hey".

"Finally" Rebekah said, "Listen you two, I need you both to come to Whitmore college's first football game of the season".

"We both dropped out of Whitmore, why would we support their stupid football team?" Caroline asked.

"Did you not hear me?" Rebekah asked, "It's the first game of the season, and I want to support them with my two best friends by my side, it's time to come home you guys".

"I'm in Whitmore, just not in college" Aria said.

"And I am already home" Caroline added, "I just signed the lease to my new apartment".

"Ooo, do we get to visit?" Aria asked.

"Obviously" Caroline replied, "Me and mom even made a nursery for the triplets".

"I'm sure they'll love it" Aria laughed.

"That apartment isn't home Caroline, it's on a border of a town that you can't enter, it's more depressing then homely" Rebekah said.

"Since when do you like football, Beks?" Aria asked curiously.

"I don't really want to watch the game, I want to get drunk with you two in the parking lot" Rebekah replied, making both Caroline and Aria laugh.

"I would love to come Beks, but I can't just leave the triplets alone" Aria said.

"I knew you'd say that, so I already talked to Jeremy and April and they agreed to babysit for you" Rebekah said.

"Fine" Aria said, finally giving in, "I'll come, but I'm not getting drunk".

"Fine by me" Rebekah said, "Caroline?".

"Do I have a choice?" Caroline asked.

"No" Aria and Rebekah said at the same time.

"If I'm going, so are you Caroline" Aria said.

"Ugh fine" Caroline said.

"Great, see you both at 6 p.m. tomorrow, don't be late" Rebekah said.

"Wouldn't dream of it" Aria said, hanging up on her two best friends.

Aria laid back on her bed, "Caroline won't admit it, but she misses you and Kol, so does Jeremy, and Rebekah, and everyone else, they don't mention you and Kol to me, scared I will lose it, and I think I might, I wouldn't put it past me, it's hard to let go of you, I don't want to start over without you in my life, there's nothing more worse then that, luckily for me, with the help of Luke, I found these herbs which let me hold on to you for a little longer, I don't have to say goodbye to you just yet, anyways, I've been doing the talking this whole time, now it's your turn, how was your day, Mr. Salvatore?".

Aria turned to her side and saw Damon staring back at her, "Can we go back to the part where Ric came back to life to be a college professor?" Damon asked.

Aria chuckled, she intertwined her fingers with Damon's, "You know, Asher and Alec are your spitting image, it's kind of creepy".

"I mean, they are my sons" Damon teased.

"True" Aria said, "Let's just hope they don't get your personality, I could barely keep up with you, imagine three Damon Salvatore's" Aria said.

"Sounds like heaven" Damon teased.

"More like a nightmare" Aria teased, letting out a yawn.

"Tired?" Damon asked.

"Very" Aria replied.

"Then go to sleep" Damon said.

"You'll leave if I do" Aria whispered, her eyes slowly closing due to exhaustion.

"I'll always come back to you Ria" Damon whispered, as Aria fell into a deep slumber.

***

After leaving the triplets with April and Jeremy, Aria got into her car and started making her way to the football game.

"So, I went to the Whitmore hospital for the triplets regular check up, which by the way, they are doing wonderful" Aria informed, driving her car, with Damon in the passenger seat, "Anyways, at the hospital I met this new doctor, her name is Jo and I really think her and Alaric would make a cute couple, I mean Ric does have a thing for doctors, should I try to set them up or is it too early?".

"I have no idea" Damon replied, "Now let me ask you this, why's there not a Mikaelson in the back? I mean, can't you whip up a batch of herbs in Kol flavor?".

"I-I can't see him" Aria whispered.

Damon looked at Aria in confusion, "And why's that?".

"The night he died, I knew something bad was going to happen" Aria said, "And instead of forcing Kol to come with us, I left him there, and he died".

"You feel guilty" Damon realised.

"I could've saved him, but I failed" Aria said, "I can't face him, without thinking of the fact that I failed him, when he never failed me, plus I can't drive around with everyone that I lost, that will be too many people".

"There's that, and there's another reason you don't want to see Kol" Damon said.

"Which is what?" Aria asked curiously.

"You know that Kol would want you to stop taking those herbs, don't think I haven't noticed the extra bloodlust, the no having control of your magic" Damon replied, "And the last thing you wanna do is conjure up someone who'll tell you the truth, that the herbs are making you lose your mind".

Aria's grip on her steering wheel tightened, "Damon, stop, I don't want to talk about this".

"About what?" Damon asked, "The fact that I'm dead? Because I am".

"Technically, you were dead way before we met" Aria teased.

"Good point" Damon said, "Now, I'm just gone".

"No" Aria snapped, "You're not gone, you can't be".

"And this conversation is pretty much the smart, levelheaded you, talking to the irrational possible drug-addict you" Damon said, "Which is clear evidence of your insanity".

"Maybe" Aria said, "But if being insane means not losing you, then I'm fine with that".

***

"Dammit, Alaric's getting impatient" Aria said, as Alaric left her a voicemail, she then started looking around for a fresh blood bag in the back of her car.

"What are you looking for?" Damon asked.

"A blood bag" Aria replied, grabbing an empty one, "Turns out I drank all of them, without realising".

"Another red flag" Damon said.

"Shut up" Aria said, as her eyes landed on a girl standing next to her broken down car, "Hey" she greeted, stopping her car next to the girl, "Everything okay?".

"Depends, am I still in the Western Hemisphere?".

"I'll help you" Aria said, getting out of the car and walking over to the girl.

"Sorry, I'm from New York, and we're big on cell-phone reception".

Aria chuckled, "That's fine, may I know where you're going?".

"Mystic Falls, my GPS died, and then I started second-guessing myself--".

"I'm sorry" Aria interrupted the girl, veins appearing under her eyes, shocking the girl, but before she could run, Aria bit into her neck.

"Easy, this is when you wipe her slate and let her go" Damon said.

Aria separated from the girl, "I can't" she said, biting the girl again.

"You're gonna kill her" Damon said, "Just like you nearly killed the last one and the one before that".

"I'm not gonna kill her" Aria snapped, "I'm just so hungry".

Aria once again bit into the girls neck, causing her to let out a loud yell.

"Aria!" Caroline yelled, speeding over to her sister.

Hearing Caroline's voice, Aria separated from the girl and turned to her sister, while the girl took this opportunity to run away, "Care I--".

"Aria, the girl!" Caroline yelled.

"Dammit!" Aria yelled, trying to speed after the girl, but as soon as she entered the anti magic border she started burning, causing the girl to get away from her.

***

"What did you do? Why the hell are you feeding on people?!" Caroline asked.

"Relax Caroline, she is the only person that's gotten away, the rest I compelled" Aria replied.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on" Caroline said, "So you're the border lurker?".

"The what now?" Aria asked confused.

"Yeah, did you know mom's been out looking for a vampire prowler?" Caroline asked.

Aria sighed, "It's those herbs, they're making me so thirsty, they're making me lose my mind".

"Whoa, what herbs?" Caroline asked confused.

Aria looked at Caroline, a guilty expression on her face, "Luke helped me find these herbs that allow me to see Damon, it let's me talk to him, be with him".

"So this whole time, instead of grieving, this is what you've been doing?" Caroline asked shocked, "Hallucinating your dead boyfriend?".

"You don't get it Caroline" Aria snapped, "Why would you?! The man you love is alive, but mine isn't, he was my damn soulmate Caroline! I can't just let him go, I know how to grieve and I tried, I tried so much not just for myself but for my kids as well, but I can't do this, the thought of never seeing him or Kol again is slowly killing me Care, at one point I was this close to ending it all, but I couldn't because of my kids, I'm losing my mind without Damon and Kol, and I don't know what else to do".

Caroline sighed and stepped forward and hugged her sobbing sister, "I've got you" she whispered, "But you can't keep taking those herbs Aria, they are better ways to get through this".

"Like what Care?" Aria asked, breaking the guy, "Should I be like you and have picnics with mom near the town border? Or should I be like Rebekah and engross myself so much in useless things that I won't have time to grieve anyone? Everyone has their own way of getting through grief Caroline, and this is mine".

"Yeah, but you're not getting through it, Aria, you're just pressing pause" Caroline said, "Aria, you can't be this reckless anymore, there's three little babies who are relying on you, they need their mother, not a drug addict".

"I don't want to be a drug addict mother, Care" Aria cried.

"Then stop taking the herbs" Caroline said.

"Then I won't see him again" Aria sobbed, "I will be alone".

"But you're not alone, I'm right here, and soon a mini me or mini Klaus will also be with you" Caroline said.

Aria looked at Caroline in shock, "What?" she asked.

"I'm pregnant" Caroline whispered, "I just found out today, and I was going to tell you and Rebekah together".

"Oh my god" Aria whispered, "Care, congratulations!", Aria lunged forward and hugged her sister.

"Thank you" Caroline said, "Now promise me, for the sake of your children and your future god child, no more herbs".

Aria hesitated for a moment, but then nodded, "No more herbs" she promised.

"Good" Caroline said, giving her sister another hug.

As Aria was hugging Caroline, she looked behind her, to see Damon standing there, a sad smile on his face, both him and Aria realising it was time to say goodbye.

***

Aria stood in the Salvatore crypt.

"The herbs are about to stop working" Aria whispered, looking at Damon, "And then you will be gone, the difference this time will be that, I won't see you again, ever".

"One promise from Caroline and you wanna throw all this away?" Damon asked.

"I love you Damon Salvatore, and my heart will always belong to you" Aria cried, "But Caroline is right, if I don't let you go, I can't be a good mother to our kids, I can't be a good godmother to her child, seeing you, means being reckless, hurting people, and I can't do that".

"So why am I here?" Damon asked, "You wanna move on? Move on".

"I don't know what you said to me when you died" Aria whispered, "But I know that I never got to tell you how much you've changed my life, you've given me everything I ever wanted in my life and much more, your love consumed me, your love had so much passion in it, along with so much adventure, and let's not forget the danger, no one could ever love me as much as you did, and I am so grateful for that, I just wished that our love could have lasted forever but turns out, destiny had some other plans for us, I am so sorry but this is the last time we see each other, but I promise, in the afterlife I will find you Damon, but for now I have to say goodbye, I love you, forever and ever, which is why I have to let you go".

Aria cupped Damon's face and slowly kissed his lips, after they separated, Aria opened her eyes to see Damon no longer there.

Aria fell to the floor, sobbing, just as Klaus and Caroline entered the crypt.

Without saying anything both the vampires kneeled down and hugged Aria.

"Make it stop Nik, make the pain stop" Aria sobbed.

"It's okay Ari, it's going to be okay, we've got you" Klaus assured.

***

After her breakdown, Klaus and Caroline dropped Aria back at Alaric's new apartment, currently, Aria sat in the living room, the ring box Damon gave her in her hand.

"Do you like being a vampire?" Aria asked Alaric suddenly.

"Why don't you get some sleep?" Alaric suggested, "We'll talk about it tomorrow when that crap's out of your system".

"That crap is out of my system" Aria said, "Which is why he's not here anymore, and don't ignore my question Ric, this whole time you've been so focused on me and my kids but you've never really told me about how you're dealing with all of this".

"You mean with me coming back to life?" Alaric asked, Aria nodded, "Well, moving away from Mystic Falls helped, and since my ex-girlfriend is happily married to a pediatrician up in Alaska after helping you give birth, I didn't have any awkward reunions to handle".

"What about the bloodlust?" Aria asked, "And the heightened emotions, and most importantly, the immortality".

Alaric sat next to Aria, "Honestly, Aria, I hate everything about being a vampire".

"I used to love it, when Damon and Kol were alive, being a vampire was amazing" Aria admitted, "But now I hate it with everything I have, Damon helped me see that our love could be eternal, Kol showed me that not all soulmates are lovers, some are the bestest friends, but now both of them are gone, and I can't handle it, if one of them was dead and the other was alive, I might have been okay, but two of the most important people in my life are dead Ric, and I can't deal with both their deaths, I can't have two holes in my heart for the rest of eternity".

"Trust me, it gets easier" Alaric said.

"This won't Ric" Aria whispered, "I know what losing people feels like, I've gone through it many times, but I had Damon and Kol by me, and now I have none of them, I know everyone excepts me to move on, but I can't, I don't want to, without or without Damon's memories, I don't think I'm ever going to fall in love again, but I need to be better for my kids, and for that I need you to do something for me".

"What?" Alaric asked confused.

"You're an Original, which means you can compel other vampires, so I need you to compel me to forget about Damon" Aria replied, "I can deal with Kol's death, only if I forget about Damon, so I want you to to compel me to forget that I loved him".

***

Prison World,

Damon Salvatore stood in the Salvatore's kitchen, making himself and Kol Mikaelson some pancakes.

"Stupid, narcissistic, wanker!" Kol yelled, entering the kitchen.

Damon rolled his eyes, "Good morning to you too".

"What have I told you about leaving your shoes everywhere?" Kol asked, "I nearly fell down the bloody stairs".

"You're a vampire, you will live" Damon replied, handing Kol a plate of pancakes.

Kol looked at the plate and realised Damon had used blueberries to make a face on the pancake, and with whipped cream drew two fangs.

"You need to get more creative, you're getting predictable with your pancake art" Kol said, sitting on the table.

"If you have a problem with my pancakes, then cook breakfast for yourself" Damon said.

"I'm good, thanks" Kol said, handing Damon his coffee.

"So, any leads?" Damon asked, sipping his coffee.

"Oh, you mean on the Kai dude, who Aria's mother told us to find four months ago?" Kol asked, "No".

"He'll show up" Damon assured.

"He better, or god so help me I'm going on a murder rampage" Kol said, eating his pancakes.

"There's no one to kill here" Damon reminded.

"That's not true" Kol said, "There's that Bennett witch we kicked out four months ago".

"You think she's still in town?" Damon asked.

"I know she is, I see her around town sometimes" Kol replied.

"Well, as long as she minds her own business, I don't care about her" Damon said.

"Amen to that brother" Kol said, clinking his coffee cup with Damon's.

***

Presenting 6x01 of The Vampire Diaries . . .

How was the chapter?

Thoughts on Aria drinking herbs to see Damon?

Thoughts on Caroline being pregnant? Okay, so I did this so early because I don't want a huge age gap between Aria and Caroline's children, and second I don't want Liz to die before meeting her grandchildren, so can you guys suggest what episode would be appropriate for Caroline to give birth, because unlike Aria's, I don't want to drag Caroline's pregnancy out the whole season >.<

Thoughts on Aria asking Alaric to compel her to forget Damon?

Thoughts on Damon and Kol in the prison world?