I'm so sorry about the end I am, but their is still a chapter or two left if that will make you guys not hate me as much.


Stefan sat out on the grounds of the Salvatore summer home. It was a beautiful colonial, on a back dirt road in southern Florida. He remembered the long rides there and how he and Damon would bicker and fight as children. As they got older they both found ways of entertaining themselves. Damon with his girl companions and Stefan with his books. There were those few times Damon would join him in his reading. Damon had a secret love of astrology so Stefan always kept a book or two around on the subject. Stefan watched the night sky and felt the air shift. He turned behind him and saw Damon looking around.

"This is what you dream about?" the older Salvatore tsked. "Where are the girls, the booze, not even a little Peter Cottontail? You're really lost without me?"

"You're not usually this snarky," Stefan said.

"That's because I don't usually invade your dreams," he said. Stefan got up and stood before him.

"Yeah well whatever."

Damon look over his little brother and winced at the pain he saw. He knew Stefan was hurting, but he never imagined this much. "Bonnie sent me here to help you. I'm really here," Damon said embracing his brother.

A calm washed over Stefan while he and Damon embraced. He knew I was him and a million question swim in his mind. They pulled back and looked each other in the eye. "Where are you?"

"I don't really know, Shelia calls it the Afterlife."

"Shelia Bennett?"

"Yes, she made away for Bonnie to find peace, and somehow Bonnie brought me with her."

"So there hast to be away to get you guys out," Stefan reasoned.

Damon looked at Stefan and wished he could preserve the hope in his eyes. "There isn't." Stefan took a step back. "I'm gone Stefan. There's nothing we can do about that."

"No!" Stefan yelled. Damon looked at him with wide eyed. "You're here right now, that means there's away. There is always away," Stefan yelled.

"Look even if I wanted to there is no way I can," Damon said. "I'm going to show you something. I think." He looked around. "This is a dream so let's Inception this bitch." Damon thought about where he wanted to go and soon they were on a beach.

"You want to show me your paradise," Stefan said as he looked around the tropical terrain.

"No this isn't what I meant. Bonnie didn't give me direction so I'm winging it," Damon tried again and soon they were in the boarding house. "Okay so there she is."

Stefan looked on as Estelle played with a little girl. "Is that mother?" he asked not believing his eyes.

"Yeah and that's Sarah."

"Is she like our long lost sister?"

"No she's my daughter, mine and Bonnie," Damon said watching Stefan's expression harden.

"How is that possible?" Stefan asked.

"We don't know. I was holding her hand when the other side was crashing down around us and all I remember is a bright light and I woke up to Sarah screaming in my ear," Damon laughed. "Come on," Damon said as they walked into the room.

"She looks just like Bonnie," Stefan said smiling down at the little girl.

"You want to hold your niece," Estella asked Stefan.

Stefan looked to Damon who nodded his agreement. Stefan picked Sarah up and he instantly feel in love with the little girl. Her eyes were so blue. A mirror of his brother's and mother's. "Hi," Stefan smiled at her.

"She might head but you she almost broke Mason's nose, so watch out for that. Say hi to uncle Broody," Damon teased.

"Don't teacher her that. Bonnie will kill you," Estella said as she got out of her chair. "Bye," She said kissing her sons. "Behave."

"I'm still surprised Bonnie hasn't killed you yet," Stefan teased.

"We have a child. She loves me," Damon said making Stefan laugh. "She does. Here we are pretty much together. Somehow this place finds a way to create a new life for you and the people you love that find peace. Bonnie has her dad and Grams, and she won't admit it, but she's really happy. She really is."

"Are you happy?"

"I am," Damon said as he stroked Sarah's head. "If I weren't here Sarah wouldn't exist, and I love her more than I've ever loved anything," he said in awe. "I really feel like a dad, she's my world. And Bonnie's the sun."

"What about Elena?"

"Here she is with you. You guys live in Portland," Damon smiled.

"What about Lexi?" Stefan asked.

"She upgraded actually, she and Bonnie are getting really close. She's pissed at me for not making it back in time," he said.

"Did you do it on purpose?" Stefan asked.

"What?" Damon asked.

"You and Caroline were the only ones to know Bonnie was dying. She didn't tell Jeremy until it was too late. Did you stay on purpose?"

"I knew there was a chance I wasn't going to make it back. That's way I didn't want Elena to come. I knew Bonnie was weak and couldn't survive all of us going through her. I wanted all of us to make it," he smiled.

"Liv was dying and Luke stopped her. You would have made it if he didn't," Stefan informed him.

"Well what do you know?"

"Elena killed him," Stefan confessed. "I wish it was me that did, but she ripped his heart out."

"How is she?" he found himself asking.

"Lost without you and Bonnie. I honestly don't know how she does it, but she just keeps going on. She lost it a few times, but she's as good as can be expected."

"Take care of her," Damon said.

"You can't just let this be it," Stefan cried.

"Stef, there is nothing that can be done. If I leave Sarah dies and I can't let that happen. I can't lose her," Damon said stroking her face. Sarah fell asleep a few moments after Estella left.

"I need you brother," Stefan admitted.

"You're going to be okay. Cry, have a few one night stands. Comfort Elena and Caroline, find a hobby or two, and you'll be fine. I know you will. You are the strong one," Damon said and the house started to shake and shatter. "I have to go," Damon said as Sarah faded away.

"You can't just leave."

"I love you, and I'm proud of you."

"Damon," Stefan yelled as he shot up in bed. He was in his motel room covered in the blood of the girl he killed the night before. The girl still lay on the floor. He got out of bed and started to clean the room.


"Bonnie you need to do something with your life. Sarah isn't going to be little much longer. Soon she'll start school and being a homemaker wasn't what your mother and I wanted for you," Rudy said as Bonnie fixed breakfast.

"Dad I don't want to be a talent scout. I want to be here for Sarah," Bonnie stressed.

"You're good at it. You could own your own music label if you took a business class or two," he pointed out.

"You missed a lot when you were out working," Bonnie said.

"I just know that you wanted more than that before he stole your innocence," Rudy said making Bonnie laugh. "The boy has you in here making him breakfast and living in sin."

"Daddy please," Bonnie said.

"Let's not pretend like you're not still sleeping with the boy."

"We're not sleeping together," Bonnie groaned.

"Yeah and I'm Donald Trump."

"So it really is bald under there. I knew it," Damon said as he came into the kitchen.

"Well I guess my secret's out," Rudy said as Bonnie gave him a warning look.

"We're going to the circus today so you're on your own for lunch," Bonnie said as Damon made plates for everyone.

"Alright, I'll make dinner again," he smiled at her. "Are you going to be joining us Grampy?" Damon teased.

"Not tonight," he smiled.

"It's a shame we all love when you try and tell us how to live our lives," Damon said.

"Damon stop."

"Why should I he never listens to you?" Damon said. "She's young and driven. She just wants to take care of Sarah and that's enough for her now. If she wants to do something else later on that's her choice, and if she doesn't that's her choice."

"I'm sure we all know which you'd prefer," Rudy smiled at him.

"I support Bonnie no matter what she chooses to do."

"Is that why you made her move out and be a "stay at home mom" in your little trophy case?"

"Daddy could you get Sarah washed up I think she's done eating?" Bonnie asked trying to calm the situation.

"Fine," Rudy said picking Sarah up. "This discussion isn't over."

"Great," Damon said with a condescending smile. "He is lucky he's dead cause I'd kill him," Damon said as he poured them coffee.

"He's just worried about me. He wants me to be happy, and being alone is driving him crazy," she said with a soft smile.

"And you kind of like the irony," he smiled.

"He wants me to be his partner and he wants us to spend more time together," she smiled. "I missed him being around. I forget how much I shut him out before, because I didn't want him to worry or fight about me using magic. Everything's just simple here."

"If you want to go on the road with your dad, we'll figure it out," Damon reassured her.

"I'm not leaving you two alone," Bonnie laughed.

"I'm fully capable of taking care of my daughter," Damon reminded her.

Bonnie leaned in and whispered. "You've been a father for two weeks let's not get ahead of ourselves, and what are you going to do when you're at work doing whatever it is that you do?" Bonnie asked.

"I'm the boss if I want a day off then I'll take it."

"No Damon," Bonnie said.

"Okay," he said letting it go.

"How was your talk with Stefan? Did the potion work?" Bonnie asked.

"It worked and he was a mess. I think he'll get to a good place soon, but he's really lost," Damon said feeling raw again. Bonnie placed her hand on his, and he looked up to see her warm smile. "Thank you for that."

"Anytime," she smiled and ate her food.


Bonnie and Lexi were taking Sarah to get her ears pierced and Damon knew he was making a grave mistake, but he needed to do this. He loaded the gun sure that he was doing the right thing. He'd have the mess cleaned before Bonnie got home, and then he could greet her with a big fat I told you so. But the rational part of his mind reminded him, that she could very well be right. "Here goes nothing," he swallowed and pulled the trigger.


"She looks so adorable with the hoops," Lexi said as she held the door open.

"I know my Grams is going to give me hell about this, but they are so," Bonnie stopped as she walked into the kitchen and saw a foot. She walked around the island and she saw Damon. "No!" she yelled.

"Bonnie," Lexi yelled as she ran into the kitchen.

"Take Sarah," Bonnie said Sarah was crying and Bonnie needed to check Damon's pulse.

"Oh God," Lexi said as she saw Damon. She grabbed Sarah and took the girl out of the room. Lexi pulled out her phone and called for an ambulance.

"You better not die you idiot," Bonnie said as she gave Damon CPR. "Please don't die," she begged him. She felt for his pulse, but it was still weak. She wasn't giving up though. She wasn't going to do it alone.