What is a phenomenon? The Oxford Concise English Dictionary describes a phenomenon as "a fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen, especially one whose cause is in question", and "a remarkable person or thing." I think Delena are a phenomenon, or are becoming one. Of course, while it's true that DE have many fans - the biggest number of fans from all the ships on the show - it's also a fact that there are others who are strongly opposed to DE. It's been claimed by other fandoms that DE shippers refuse to acknowledge the potential for other ships, and are too caught up in their own world to see that DE are not the epic love story that they think they are. These arguments are not pretty, but we need to be aware of them, especially now that the finale has aired. DE are going to receive a battering from SE shippers, BD shippers...anyone who doesn't like them. Their arguments are harsh and unflinching, an example of which can be found in an article posted on another fanspot (which shall go unnamed but you can probably guess anyway). The purpose of this article is NOT to engage in some shipper-war debate, it is merely to set the case for DE and their epic story straight. Hopefully, by addressing the arguments against DE, we will be better equipped to defend our fandom.

The article I came across paints an unflattering portrait of Season 2 Damon as following Elena around like a love-sick puppy. According to the author of this article, Elena brings out the worst in Damon. "She's always forgiving him, apologizing for him and NEVER holding him responsible for his actions." Rather than telling Damon where to shove it, Elena indulges Damon by molly-coddling him. The article depicts DE as destructive, selfish and harmful: "The Damon around Elena is reckless and selfish...Even Katherine didn't have him this messed up." And: "Love's not supposed to strive off the death, pain and misery of others."

The fandom of the unnamed ship tend to be hilariously illogical in their arguments, most of which I can laugh at or manage to shrug off. But I didn't feel that the author gave a fair or accurate depiction of Damon and Elena, as individuals or together, and that bothered me, especially when her fellow shippers applauded her for telling the truth. It is not the truth. I can respect other fans opinions, even if I don't agree with them, but not when their perspective of DE is so obviously flawed.
Let's start with 'Damon is a love-sick puppy'/Elena coddles him' argument. Damon has only spoken of his love for Elena twice: at the end of 2x08 before he erases her memory; and in the bath with Andie in 2x13. He has had two relationships - the first with Rose, whom he hooked up with after only knowing for about 10 minutes, and then with Andie, after knowing for five. How does this come across as being love-sick or pathetic, when he's doing all he can to distract himself? Is he writing 'I love Elena' across his journal? Is he sending her love-letters and flowers, and appearing in the same places she is all the time? In 2x19, Damon tells Stefan that he should be thankful Damon has Andie: "It stops me from going for what I really want." Season 2 will not be remembered for being Delena's. In Season One, we got scenes in pretty much every episode. This Season, we had a stretch of 4 episodes without a decent DE scene. How can Damon be following Elena around like a puppy and acting love-sick when he's not even around her, and in the meantime, is fighting and killing werewolves, dealing with Katherine, trying to kill Originals, and anything else that's thrown at him?
As for Elena molly-coddling Damon, and constantly forgiving him and apologising for what he does - this is completely untrue. I suppose the author of the article over-looked or forgot that it took Elena ten episodes to forgive Damon for attacking Jeremy. I can't understand why certain shippers think that Elena is unable to stand her ground with Damon - she most certainly can, as evidenced in 2x02, where she stopped Damon from staking Caroline by literally jumping in between them. In 2x03, she prevents him from killing Vanessa, and showed she isn't afraid of taking a leaf out of his own book for getting what she wants. When he confeses to not knowing Jeremy was wearing John's ring, she tells him he's lost her forever. When the brothers give her their house, she makes Damon promise to abide by her rules before letting him come in. A push-over? Someone who's keen to 'mother' him? Someone who lets Damon have his own way all the time? Surely not. Elena has constantly stood up to him, challenged him, and even, on occasion, fought back. (See 2x10 and 2x18).

I think pretty much everyone will see that Damon has become a more selfless person from being in love with Elena. He's not perfect by any means, but he's far better than he used to be. I suspect the author's comment about Damon being selfish and reckless has more to do with who Damon is willing to sacrifice in order to save Elena, and not Damon's behaviour this season in general. Let's remember, that Bonnie herself was totally fine with being the one to kill Klaus; nobody pushed her into it or forced her, she made the decision herself. Actually, Bonnie's willingness to die to save Elena mirrors Damon's. They are both alike in that respect. Damon and Bonnie are not close, so Damon doesn't value Bonnie's life the way he values those he loves. So it's natural and inevitable he'll put Elena's life over and above Bonnie's. That's just the way Damon is. Stefan worries about collateral damage, whereas Damon would take that collateral damage if it means saving the girl he loves, because she's more important than the life of another person he doesn't give two hoots about. It's not ethical or moral or whatever you want to call it, but it's the way Damon operates, and it's the way he loves. In 2x20, Stefan reveals that vampires feel love more powerfully than humans do. People who renounce DE as destructive and selfish need to remember that Damon isn't a typical guy - he's a vampire who switched his humanity off for decades because it was too painful to deal with. He is still struggling with his humanity, so it's inevitable he'll make big mistakes. But can anyone who truly understands Damon and his journey so far honestly claim that he was a better person when he first came to Mystic Falls, and wasted no time in killing whoever crossed his path??

"Love's not supposed to strive off the death, pain and misery of others," the author states. But if this were true, then would DE really have the biggest fandom in the show? The author makes it sound like DE are positively revelling in other people's suffering, and that's not true. Elena doesn't want anyone she loves to be harmed in any way, and she would sooner die than let them be hurt. Damon, on the contrary, would rather die than let her be killed, and would let (almost) anyone die if it means she could live. I think that's super romantic and sexy, even if it's a bit twisted. DE are the epitome of forbidden love, and forbidden love is never tidy and comfortable and easy. But that's what makes their story amazing. 'Vampire Diaries' is a fantasy show, and while opponents of DE sneer and look down their noses at their relationship, the reason why people love them isn't because they're a rational pairing. It's not because DE's journey is 'safe'. It is passionate, and wild, and terrifying and all the things that make a love story unforgettable, even if it doesn't make sense or may inadvertently cause pain to those closest to them. But if DE are destructive and selfish, then so are Romeo and Juliet, Cathy and Heathcliff ('Wuthering Heights'), and Scarlett and Rhett ('Gone With The Wind'). Some of the greatest love stories of all time are not remembered because the characters were sensible or played by the rules - but because they were passionate, defiant and dangerous in the way they loved. I can accept that there are those who deem DE 'destructive'; what I can't accept however, is the Bamon proponents who say that a Damon/Bonnie romance WOULDN'T be destructive. It's fair enough if fans prefer Bamon. But to renounce DE as abnormally harmful, and then in the next breath say: 'Bamon are a much better, healthier pairing' is bizarre at best and mind-boggling at worst. How did they come up that idea?? When you view the history these two share, how could a romantic relationship possibly NOT be destructive? How could it be healthy? How could a smart, powerful girl like Bonnie want to date a guy who in the past, valued her death more than her life? I don't mind Bamon, but this argument doesn't make sense.

Although the author of the article begins by saying that her intention is not to demean Damon, Elena, or DE, it's not long before her true feelings about them begin to show. Various anti-delena arguments/articles I've encountered end up tearing DE to shreds because the fan/author can only see one point of view: their own. In spite of their supposed attempt at viewing them objectively as a couple, they simply can't do it because they've already reached the conclusion that DE won't work. He/she can't understand DE and don't particularly want to. Deep down, they know quite well that they can't stomach Delena, and hate them to their very core. The question is, if they are right, and DE are as horrible as they make them out to be, why do we have the biggest fanbase? How come SE don't have as many fans as DE? And if Bamon is a more morally healthy and right couple, then why do they have only have over a thousand fans, while we have over 5500? Can 5545 people really be wrong? I don't think so. After all, a phenomenon isn't created or made out of nothing. Everything about the way DE's relationship has been so far, and their story has earned them the title 'Epic'.