“He let her get almost all the way there, just staring, before he stumbled towards her. They ended in a rush and then fell to the ground together,arms locked around each other, each holding on as tightly as possible. Niether of them said a word.”

“We belong to 2 different races, races that hate each other. There's no way to get around that”

“And it was good just to hold her and touch the softness of her skin. He wanted to hold her hard, not to hurt her but to keep her safe, to show her that he was strong enough to protect her. Her beauty was like fire and strange music, and he loved her.”

“You love her, don't you?' [Rob] said to Gabriel.Gabriel finall seemed able to break their locked stare. He looked away, at the carpet. His face was bleak.Yes' he saidMore than anything,' Rob persisted. 'You'd crawl on your belly over broken glass for her. Easy.'Yes, damn you,' Gabriel said. 'Happy now?”

“Something was shining on Damon's face. She reached toward it, touched it, and lifted her fingers away in wonder."Don't be sad," she told him, feeling the cool wetness on her fingertips. But a pang of worry disturbed her. Who was there to understand Damon now? Who would be there to push him, to try to see what was really inside him? "You have to take care of each other," she said, realizing it. A little strength came back to her, like a candle flaring in the wind. "Stefan, will you promise? Promise to take care of each other?”

“She was still looking down and she saw tears spill from her eyes and fall toward Damon’s outstretched arms. Elena didn’t know why she was crying, but part of it was sorrow for her ever having doubted him.Because Damon wasn’t just on her side. Unless she was wrong, he was willing to die for her - was courting death for her.”

“Soulmates. That was the word. Maggie could sense what it meant. Two people connected, bound to each other forever, soul to soul, in a way that even death couldn't break. Two souls that were destined for each other.”