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Chapter 51: Ghost World

I'd had a full night to think things through, to think about how this with Damon was gonna go, he'd kissed Elizabeth and I'd forgiven him straight away, I has gone soft on myself...what was wrong with me?

I hadn't heard from Damon, and he checked in all the time, paranoid ass. So I went into the Boarding house, just as Stefan was leaving.

"Hello Aj, what a surprise—"

"Don't talk to me" I said walking past him.

I heard him chuckle and I rolled my eyes; I wanted to stake the bastard. I really did, as much as I missed the old Stefan, he was never coming back and there wasn't anything anyone could do about it. I walked in and saw Damon, strapped to a chair.

"Oh my god..." I said.

He turned to look at me, giving me a half assed smile and then groaned.

"What the hell happened?" I demanded running over to him then I growled "Did Stefan do this?"

"He says he didn't"

I stared at him "Then who?" I asked moving the chains from him.

Suddenly the curtains opened and the sunlight began to burn Damon's skin, I looked for his ring but I couldn't find it, then I saw it lying across the room. I grabbed it and pushed it on.

"What the hell was that?" He asked.

"I...I don't know" I said looking around. I saw a reflection in the mirror but it was gone...no...was that? It wasn't possible. He was dead. I shook my head and looked around, I got up from in front of Damon and moved towards the mirror, but then Damon screamed in pain, I turned with a quick gasp and saw the iron poker sticking out from his gut.

"Oh my god!" I ran over to him and pulled it out, he groaned and I finally got the chains off and he fell forwards but I managed to grab him. "Come on"

I helped him up and helped him get changed.

"You know, I think you're still angry at me" He said when he pulled his shirt on.

"What?" I asked furrowing my brows.

"About this whole Elizabeth thing" He said staring down at me.

"If I was mad at you I wouldn't be here" I said looking back at him.

"Good point" He said "Who told you?"

"Stefan may have mentioned it" I nodded.

He rolled his eyes "Go figure"

"Mm-hmm" I said nodding and I stood. "You good?"

"Yeah" He said nodding.
I turned to walk out of the room but he was in front of me and he stroked my face.

"What?" I asked.

"You are mad"

"Ok, I'm not mad"

"You are"

"I'm upset, there's a big difference" I said nodding.

"I told you last night, if I'd meant it to happen I wouldn't be here now would I?" He asked "You'd probably be drained dry, you know Klaus and his whole doppelganger blood thing, but you're not because I saved you because I love you"

I nodded "Yeah, I know"

I walked past him and went out of the room, I heard him sigh as I did and I went downstairs, then I seen him. Mason Lockwood.

"How-" I began "DAMON!"

He was then behind me and he moved in front of me "What?!"

"I-I saw Mason" I said staring at him.

"Mason's dead" He said shrugging.

"I just saw him, standing right there, I swear to god"

He frowned and sighed.

"What? What is it?" I asked.

"Vicki Donovan was the one that tried to kill you last night with that fire"

I stared at him "Uh, what? Vicki's dead"

"Yeah her ghost tried to barbecue you"

I frowned "How is this happening?"

"Jeremy" He said.

"What about Jeremy?"

"Oh, uh, nothing" He said shrugging.

"Damon" I said "You promised no more lies, no more than five minutes ago"

"He's been seeing ghosts" He said.

"What? When did this happen?" I demanded.

"When Bonnie brought him back to life before the summer"

"He...he didn't tell me" I said.

"He didn't want you to freak out"

"Well I'm freaking out now!" I cried.

He put his hands on my shoulders "Well don't"

"Great advice" I snapped.

"Just come on, we need to see Bonnie and get her to stop it"

"Bonnie knows about this?" I asked.

"Yeah Bonnie knows"

"Who else?"

"Um, I'd say pretty much everyone"

"Oh, well that's fantastic" I snapped sarcastically "Anything else you wanna let roll out of your tongue while you're on a truthful thing here?"

"No"

I rolled my eyes and walked past him and went out the door, I got in the car and he followed and we drove to talk to Bonnie. We saw her and Caroline and got out.

"Greetings Blondie, witchy" He said with a smirk "I think your voodoo wires all crossed wrong when you got rid of Vicki Donovan"

"What do you mean? Why?" Bonnie asked.
"Because we're pretty sure he just got spit roasted by Mason Lockwood's ghost" I said folding my arms.

"What?" Bonnie asked.

"And why would you think that?" Caroline asked.

"Maybe because he chained me to a chair and shoved a hot poker in my chest" Damon said "Let's just say I'm having déjà vu"

"I thought you said that ghosts couldn't physically interact with people" Caroline said.

"They can't" Bonnie said.

"Yeah, well, I don't have time for a vengeful Lockwood" Damon said "When I kill someone they're supposed to stay dead, whatever you did to screw it up, fix it"

I punched his arm and walked away from him to go look for Jeremy. I finally found him, Elena and Rick.

"Oh, hey guys" I said and they looked at me. "Looking for you"

"What's up" Jeremy said.

"I was just wondering, how's Vicki Donovan?" I asked nodding; They all looked at me and then looked at each other. "Oh sorry, did I say that out loud? I wasn't supposed to know was I? Woops"

I turned and walked away from them and went to the restroom and again bumped into Stefan.
"Ugh, what do you want" I asked going to go past him.

He grabbed my arm "You ok?"

I glared and pulled my arm from his grip "Friggin peachy why do you care? "

"You know, I'm here to protect you Aj, and I can help with any problem that you're dealing with-" He said.

"Go to hell Stefan" I said "I don't want your help, I don't want your protection, as a matter of fact, I want absolutely nothing from you whatsoever, so leave me the hell alone"

"I'm your best friend" he said with a fake pout.

"Let's get one thing straight Salvatore. You are NOT my friend, you will NEVER be my friend again, EVER" I said "You got that? Or do I need to spell it out for you?"

"Someone's on fire today" He smirked.

I stared at him "That's not funny, I could've let you die"

"But you didn't"

"Yeah, because of Elena, but next time it happens, I will let you die"

"You won't"

"Why's that?"

"Because deep down, you know what I mean to you and deep down, you think there's still hope" He said, basically mocking my sister, I slapped him and he turned to look at me.

"I hope you get your emotions back, Stefan. I really, really do. Because then you'll know what an ass you've been to everybody, but you'll also know, that you have no friends left" I said "So stay away from me"

"You know Aj, there's no point in torturing yourself, I mean, human's don't have a switch"

"I'll give you a friggin switch, Dick"

He laughed "It's not your fault everyone around here keeps things from you constantly"

"Oh that's good to know; because I couldn't care less" I nodded "I honestly don't give a rats ass"

"You're changing, that's a good thing" He said.

"Good for whom? Huh? You? I don't see how, 'Cause you've turned into Damon, the one thing you didn't want"

He stared at me and then frowned "Yeah, no I haven't"

"No, actually" I laughed with fake enthusiasm "You're worse"

"Yeah, I am and I could-"

"Could what? Kill me? Go ahead Stefan" I said moving closer to him "Put me out of my misery, end it right here, right now, go on...I dare you"

He stared at me, in complete shock and I moved closer.

"Oh that's right, you're Klaus' bitch, no disobeying the master" I said.

"I am not" He growled.

"Then prove it" I said "Kill me"

He turned and walked away from me "That's what I thought"

I walked into the restroom and stared at myself in the mirror, I had to get out of this town...it was seriously starting to annoy me. It was like poison...

I quickly washed my face and then walked out, Elena and Jeremy had gone but Damon was sitting with Rick at the bar. I went to walk past but they both stopped me.

"What?" I asked.

"You were right" Damon said.

"About what?"

"Mason Lockwood"

"Good to know" I said nodding.

"You're still upset?" Damon asked.

"No" I said shaking my head "Now I'm pissed"

I turned and walked out of the Grill and I went home.

-LATER-

I was sitting in my room, on the window seat when Jeremy came in.

"What do you want Hayley Joel?" I asked not looking at him.

"Who's Hayley Joel?" He asked.

I turned to look at him "Never mind"
"I'm sorry I lied to you" He said sitting on my bed.

"Yeah, ok" I nodded.

"I know you're mad, and I'm sorry Aj, I really am sorry but I knew this would be your reaction" He said.

"No, Jeremy" I said looking out the window "My reaction would've been alot calmer if it hadn't come from Damon...like three months after it started to happen, I would've tried to help you"

"I know, and I should've come to you" He said "But you...you carry so much for us, you do so much for us ok, I didn't want to burden you with this"

"Don't do that" I said shaking my head "Don't try and say I'm burdened with enough, because truthfully, I'm burdened with too much, this whole Stefan/Klaus/Elena thing is starting to annoy me, Stefan won't leave me alone, Damon kissed Elizabeth no more than three days ago, and now I find out you're seeing ghosts and have been for months, but that doesn't mean I don't deserve to know"

"I know, I know" He said "And I'm sorry but...you carry far too much, you need a break or you're going to break"
"Too late for that" I said looking out the window.

"What does that mean?"
"It means I'm sick of this place, I hate it, I hate everything about it, I'm starting to think the ones I thought I could trust, are turning out to be the ones I shouldn't trust"

He sighed "I'm sorry"

"It doesn't matter, I know now right?" I said and folded my arms.

"I need to go out" He said, his voice was sad...I turned to look at him.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked.

"I...it's nothing"

"Jeremy Gilbert" I snapped "Tell me"

"I-I kissed Anna"

I stared at him "Um, ok...that's...uh, interesting?"

"No it isn't actually" he said "Elena told Caroline...and Caroline will tell Bonnie, I-I need to go"

He turned and left the room, well, my little brother was a player then. I shook my head and looked back out the window. What was happening to me? Where was all this anger coming from?

-LATER-

I must've fallen asleep because when I looked out the window, it was dark, really dark. I rubbed my eyes and moved from the bed, I turned and moved off the bed seat and walked downstairs. Alaric walked in the door.

"Aj-" He began.

"Don't you even start Rick" I said shaking my head.

"I know you're mad, I only found out yesterday" He said.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" I asked raising my eyebrows.

"No, not really" He said shrugging.

I sighed and went into the kitchen and sat on the stool.

"You know, Jeremy told me what he said to you, what you said to him" Rick said.

"What?"

"Earlier, you said you hated this town"
"Who doesn't hate this town?" I asked raising my eyebrows.

"I supposed, but he was right earlier, you don't have to be the one that carries it all"

"Yes I do, it's my job" I said cupping my hands together.

"No it isn't" He said "You're still a kid, you shouldn't hold all this responsibility"

"Who should Rick? Huh? Who should hold it all? Nobody else can" I said looking over at him.

"I know, and I know it's hard with everything that's going on, but I'm here when you need me"

"I know" I said nodding.

"But you don't, you jam it all up inside until you get angry and then you explode, I heard you earlier with Stefan" He said "trust me, I used to do it all the time, hold all the guilt, all the anger, all the rage, everything down until it finally exploded and it wasn't good...it never ended well for anyone"

I stared at him "Then what am I supposed to do?" I asked.

"Be smart, talk about it, instead of pushing it away"

"I can't talk about it" I said shaking my head.

"Why not?"

"Because, it's not anybody else's problems but my own, it's my fault Stefan is the way he is, it's because of me he went after Klaus...to save Damon because I love him, that's it, everything that seems to happen in this town is my fault" I said "It's like my life is a never ending funeral"

"Well I'm not dying" He said.

He moved round beside me and pulled me into a hug, something Rick hadn't done before. I hugged him back.

"You told me not to give up, that I'm not a lost cause, and if you believe that about me, you can believe it about yourself, you're a great person and deserve everything there is, so don't let something as stupid as Jeremy seeing ghosts, or Elena lying, or even Stefan get you down, Stefan will be normal again, he'll be normal before he knows it Aj, and when he does he'll apologize and you'll forgive him"

"I know" I sighed.

"You need to let it go..." He said "To let everything go"

"But that's just it Rick" I said moving back "I can't, because if I'd just died that night, if John hadn't saved me then, nobody would be in this mess, if Stefan hadn't tried to save me, he wouldn't be in this mess...with the whole "Dick" attitude"

"That's not true, it would be happening, because Damon would still have gotten bitten, and we would've lost another member of the team, another person that nobody wants to lose because she helps everybody through everything, even when they don't deserve it, I mean Damon is the prime example of that"

His phone began to ring and he quickly answered it, and spoke to someone.

"Talking of Damon" He said rolling his eyes.
"Maybe you should take your own advice Rick" I smirked when he got up.

"Yeah, maybe I should, I'll be back soon"
I nodded and he left, leaving me alone.

I went back up into my room and shut the door, re-taking my place at the window seat. I stared out into the night and just watched. Rick was right...

-LATER-

I'd fallen asleep because when I woke up this time, someone was holding onto me.

"What's going on?" I mumbled.
"Shhhh, go back to sleep"

Damon.

"Damon? What are you doing?" I asked rubbing my eyes.

"You fell asleep on the window seat and I had to move you"

I realised I was on the bed, and he was lying with me.

"Hmmm" I hummed.

"So Ric tells me you hate this town"

"hmpf" I huffed and closed my eyes

"You hate it because?"

"It ruins everything" I mumbled.

"Is that a dig at me?" he asked.

I sat up and looked at him "No, Damon of course not, it's this town it ruins everybody, the amount of people that have died here, the amount of supernatural that happens here too...this town it's poison, it kills everything it touches, and it took me this long to realise it" I said.

He stroked my face "We could always leave"

"You're serious" I said staring at him, wide eyed.

"Of course I am" He said "If this town hurts you so much, then we'll leave right now, never even look back"

"I can't do that Damon"

"I know" he said "Suggestion for future reference"

I lay back down and stared at the window "Do you think...he'll ever be the same Stefan?"

"I don't know" He said shrugging under me "I don't know"

"I want him to be...but I told him earlier...that I would never be his friend again"

"You were angry, it's normal" Damon said "How did that happen by the way?"

"What?"

"You were upset...then you were really pissed, how?"

"Stefan was trying to be a smart ass" I said "So I put him in his place...but I-I didn't mean it, not any of it"

"I know" He said "Rick said you didn't"

"You all gossip"

"The poison in the town does that to you" Damon chuckled.

I slapped his chest and went to move it away again but he grabbed my hand and rubbed his thumb over my knuckles.

"Rick's right you know" He said.

"About?"

"This whole blocking everyone out, I'm here, you make me talk, so I should make you"

"I talk enough" I said closing my eyes again.

"Not enough that you'll tell us what's wrong with you" He said "I don't like it, I want you to be able to tell me what's wrong with you, like you used to, before we even started dating"

"Dating" I laughed.

"What?"

"That doesn't...sound right coming form you mouth" I said with a laugh again.

He moved so that I was lying next to his chest, but he kept his arm around my head.

"It's the truth"

"You realise you've turned into Stefan"

"I know, how bad for the world" He said against my hair.

"I liked old Damon"

"You liked the one who constantly hurt you all the time?" He asked.

I looked up at him "No" I said shaking my head "I liked, crazy Damon, you know before Stefan came back with this whole...ripper thing going but I also like this Damon"

"I liked him too" He said nodding.

I shook my head and closed my eyes again, this time actually planning to go to sleep. Damon stroked my cheek and played with a strand of my hair, causing me to shiver and then I was warm, and he hugged me closer to him and kissed the top of my head.

"I love you" He said "Don't forget that"

"I wont" I mumbled "I love you too"

I must've drifted off because everything went black...