Is This It For Delena?

For six seasons The Vampire Diaries fans have been patiently waiting for one thing, and one thing only: A Delena endgame. (Well, that is, if you weren't one of the very, very previous few who actually rooted for Stefan and Elena to get together in the end. But if you were... were you watching the same series the rest of us were?!) So, when Monday brought news that star Nina Dobrev would be departing The Vampire Diaries after six seasons with the show, we were met with a very distressing question: What will happen to Delena?

Even more distressing considering the fact that things don't look too good for the biggest ship The Vampire Diaries has to offer. According to Deadline, while Dobrev is leaving after Season 6's May finale — though the exact reasons are unclear, contract negotiations seem at least partially responsible for the surprisingly friendly split (Dobrev announced her TVD parting on Instagram with a sentimental post about her co-workers) — Ian Somerhalder, the blue-eyed dream who plays Damon, has signed on for Season 7 of the CW series. Which means wherever one-time real-life couple Dobrev and Somerhalder are during the 2015-2016 TV season, they'll be in different places. Away from each other. Apart. I know. It's tragic. And I'm not the only one mourning the possible end.

Of course, Delena fans shouldn't fear the worst though — considering Paul Wesley has also signed on for Season 7, a Stefan and Elena end certainly won't be the answer. So... what exactly will happen to Elena?

It's hard to say. Though there's only one other person leaving The Vampire Diaries after Season 6 — Michael Trevino, who is officially leaving for ABC's Kingmakers pilot — Tyler is not someone we ever expected to factor into Elena's endgame. And then there's the fans' hopes that Season 6's finale could signal a Delena finish after all:

It certainly helps that L.J. Smith's book series does end with the couple together. And series creator Julie Plec herself seemed to hint that Delena's story is hardly over when talking about the end of Season 6:

There is quite the doozy of a storyline coming for Damon and Elena, which is all about their relationship, and how it will work, and how they want to make it work ... The nice thing is they found their way back to each other, and that's good, we want them to have made their way back to each other. But that comes with hurdles. And when you throw a mother and some other surprises into the mix, it definitely tests them in fun and really dynamic ways. Which, while bringing them together and keeping them strong, has them asking a lot of questions about how their future will be together, and what they want out of a future together — in a good way!

But, you know, maybe this news means we'll see a badass ending for a badass heroine:

Oh, hell, who are we kidding. As much as Elena doesn't need anyone to be the awesome, kick-ass woman she is, weneed this, Vampire Diaries.

Please don't leave us hanging.

Image: CW; Giphy.com