"I give up. You want to lecture me then go ahead," Damon said looking Giuseppe straight in the eye. Giuseppe's aim wasn't to defeat Damon, he wanted to set things straight. He sighed heavily.

"Oh because its so hard for you isn't it," Damon sniped "At least you died and stayed dead. You didn't have to face the prospect of eternal life and drinking the blood of other people."

"I never wanted this for you," Giuseppe snapped. "Thats why I shot you."

Damon's face contorted in disbelief and pure shock at his father's front. Who was he kidding?

"Lies," snapped Damon coldly.

Giuseppe placed his hand over his heart and said, "Why else would I end the life of my children, Damon? I was protecting you from this fate."

Damon actually laughed it wasn't a nice sound. It was full of hate and cold as ice. As a human being Damon pleased himself. He was self-centred and Giuseppe imagined him amounting to nothing.

"You killed Stefan and I because you were ashamed of us. Please don't insult my intelligence by telling me otherwise."

"I was ashamed of you Damon. I despaired of you, my boy. You had no motivation but to please yourself and then Katherine found you."

"And then I wasn't even pleasing myself anymore, I threw my all into her," Damon finished his father's summary of him.

"See, you do understand me, and I you."

Damon shot forward having broken free. Instinctivly Giuseppe drew back even though as a ghost he couldn't be hurt.

"Then why did shoot me in the chest!?"

"I tell the truth, Damon. I did it to free you both from Katherine."

"Was it easy?" Damon's voice had dropped to menacingly low level. "Did you feel good inside when you watched us drop to the floor, knowing we were dead?"

"Look at the power you have, Damon. You are my first born and have murdered countless times but you posess such power and have such a strong bond with your brother... How can I not be proud of the part of you?"

Damon was perplexed. For the first time he'd been silenced. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. Giuseppe's words were no lies. He was ashamed that both his son's had become glorified monsters but they fought tooth and nail for what mattered to them. Despite the irony of being dead Damon had more life within him now than he ever did when he was alive. Damon got it. He heard Giuseppe and truly understood him.

"Goodbye, father," he said as Giuseppe began to fade.

Giuseppe put his ghostly hand on his son's shoulder and said the words that Damon had been longing to hear his entire life, "I'm sorry, my son. I am truly, truly sorry I bestowed this upon you."

Damon couldn't quite bring himself to forgive, he didn't have it in him. It wasn't part of him and Giuseppe knew that. Damon now understood him though. He finally got what made his father tick and that was as good as forgiveness. Mission acomplished, Giuseppe Salvatore.

Stefan and Lisa picked their way across the waste ground leading to the building they'd left Damon in.

"Are you sure it would have worked?" She asked.

"No. Not really," he replied.

Lisa laughed, "I guess we're about to find out." Stefan could see how she'd encaptured his brother. She had a lightness about her. However heavy the situation she seemed collected and appeared to take it all in her stride. It was an admirable quality.

Damon was walking toward them and though Lisa smiled at him he did not smile back.

"Hey, babe," she said.

Damon said nothing in reply but did plant his fist in Stefan's face.

"That was for breaking my neck." He threw another punch, "That one's for tying me up and forcing me to talk to dad!"

Stefan took both blows with remarkable ease. His nose bled but all he said was, "I deserved both of them. I had no choice though, brother."

"You'd lost it, babe," Lisa told him. "I think I might have lost you for good if Stefan hadn't arrived when he did."

She grabbed his hands and looked into his eyes. When Stefan saw the gaze Damon gave her in return he suddenly felt like a spare part and shuffled around awkwardly.

"I love you, Damon Salvatore,"

"I know," he replied.

She raised her eyebrows half expecting half hoping he'd say more. He did.

"Its crazy, Lisa. I've known you for a week and feel like you've been around my whole life,"

Damon looked back at Stefan. The city buzzed behind him. People came and went within its streets and transport terminals, a constant chorus of emergency sirens were its soundtrack. Damon could feel it vibrate in a way Mystic Falls never could.

"I'm not coming back, brother," he said.

Lisa squeezed his hand and he knew he'd made the right decision.

"I can't say this is a surprise," Stefan smiled.

Stefan clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder and Damon reciprocated making it into an embrace.

"Tell Elena, I'll miss her. And tell her I'm sorry about Jeremy."

"Jeremy has a great future at death's right hand." Stefan said, "But I'll tell her anyway. She's not going to be thrilled but she'll be pleased you're finally happy."

Stefan said goodbye to Lisa with a kiss on the cheek and turned to leave. He was a few steps away when he faced them again.

"Don't leave it fifty years this time brother,"

Damon nodded and pulled his lover closer to him. For the first time since he could remember he was truly contented. Genuinly happy. It was a good feeling.

The End.

Hope you've enjoyed this as much as I've enjoyed cobbling it together. Thanks for the amazing reviews, people. XX Much love. Elaine. XX