Chapter Twenty Nine

RPOV

I woke up in my room, lying on my bed. I had fallen asleep over the covers, wearing a grey sweatshirt and black pants. Confused, I sat up, looking around the room. It was empty... none of my possessions that had made their way around the room were present.

Giggling drifted to my ears and I moved off the bed, heading to the source of the sound. It was coming from Damon's room. I headed there, stopping in the doorway, my heart thumping in my chest.

"Good morning gorgeous."

I watched in confusion as Damon pulled back from kissing a woman in his bed. My confusion deepened as I recognised the woman as a slightly older version of myself.

The other me wrapped her arms around Damon, settling her head on his chest.

"How are you doing?" he asked her, running his fingers through her hair.

"Better," she answered simply.

"Are you hungry?"

She gave a slight nod. Damon climbed out of bed, kissing her forehead, "I'll go get breakfast."

I followed Damon downstairs, stopping to look at the photos littered around the house. I saw photos of us all, Stefan and Elena, Caroline and Tyler, Bonnie and Jeremy, Matt, Lissa and Christian and Damon and I, photos of me and Damon separately... group shots of us girls... in every photo, I looked insanely happy.

But I didn't remember any of this.

I made my way back upstairs, to where the older me was still lying in bed. I stood in the doorway, watching her.

"You can come in, you know," her eyes fixed on mine.

"You see me?" I asked.

"It's your dream... I'm just here to tell you what it's like."

"What what's like?"

"Being with Damon... come, talk to me."

I moved to sit on the bed, perching cross legged on the edge.

"What do you want to know?" she asked.

"Anything... everything," I answered honestly, "What are you? Is this a dream?"

"Of course it's a dream... it certainly isn't real is it?" the older me asked exasperatedly, "I'm twenty four years old... Damon turned me a few months ago. It's been tough adjusting but I'm doing it for him. I love him and I'm happy."

I looked at my older self. I never would have guessed she was a vampire. It threw me.

"Have you... have I... do we kill?" I struggled for words.

"No... I've never killed anyone. And I'm not bothered by spirit anymore either."

"But... Lissa... is she okay? Who pulls the darkness from her?"

"She's fine... she's dealing."

I sat in silence slowly for a moment.

"Do you regret choosing Damon over Dimitri?" I whispered.

"It was never a choice," she answered without hesitating.

I could feel that it was time to go. Slowly I reached forward and held the older me's hand.

"Thank you."

The world faded to grey and then I opened my eyes. I was sitting down in a strange house. I could hear laughter and followed the sound to a large white kitchen. My older self was there, laughing as Dimitri kissed her on the bench.

"How was work?" the older me asked.

"Good... but I missed you," Dimitri replied, kissing down her neck.

"Mmm..."

I looked around at all the pictures on the wall. There were group photos of me, Dimitri, Lissa, Christian, Adrian, Eddie and Mia and couple photos of me and Dimitri... just like in the Damon dream.

Only my friends from Mystic Falls were missing.

I turned back to the older me and Dimitri. Dimitri was walking away, presumably to change. I approached my older self.

"You want answers," she turned to face me, "You want to know what happened when I chose Dimitri."

"Yes," I answered honestly.

"It's been two years and I still remember it all vividly. I chose Dimitri and lost contact with everyone in Mystic Falls. Dimitri was fired as a guardian for falling for a Dhampir and I was expelled from the Academy for running away, so we moved away. We still see the others, but not very often. We have a great life. Dimitri works as a construction worker and I teach self defence... it's great."

I almost believed her story. I knew myself too well to recognise the lies. She was unhappy.

"Do you regret your choice?" I asked.

"I love Dimitri."

"That's not what I asked."

"I could never regret choosing him."

I touched her hand, thanking her. And then everything faded away.