Hey Everyone,

This is going to be a short 2 or 3 short whilst I'm working on my other neglected stories, let me know what you think!

Song for this chapter:

Lana Del Rey - Dark Paradise

Damon PoV

My eyes scanned the crowded bar as I stepped into The Grill, trying to find my brother, Elena or one of the 'Scooby Gang'. It seemed tonight was busier than normal in The Grill, as amongst the usual human residents and few supernatural beings there were also Ghosts, lots of them it seemed. I saw a few people walking around who should most definitely be 6 foot under and not walking around, chatting to people as though nothing was wrong.

I spotted a few people who I knew without a doubt were dead, amongst them were Vicki Donavan, Mayor Lockwood and Sheila Bennett. I knew there were a lot more in here but for me to single them out in this crowded place, with so many sounds and scent would take a huge amount of concentration, time and patience, which I was currently running out of. The one thing that struck me as odd as I looked around was the fact that none of the humans seemed concerned with the fact people they knew were dead were amongst them once more. In fact it seemed they were making the most of the time they had with their dead relatives, friends or neighbours. They were interacting with one another peacefully, I could see some people in tears as they embraced one another. If I was sentimental, I would watch people being happy that they had some more precious time with their loved ones.

But I'm not sentimental and I didn't have time to be, yes there were plenty of happy, good ghosts but on the other hand there were also some pissed off vengeful spirits who would happily try to kill those that had killed them in the first place. I'd already had one pissed off ghost visit me tonight and didn't want a repeat. It seems that Mason Lockwood wasn't very happy with me ripping out his heart and wanted payback. He also showed me that tonight spirits could actually touch and definitely cause you harm. Luckily I had managed to get away.

A flash of white and red appeared in my peripheral, I froze and slowly turned in that direction to see what it was but when I turned, there was no-one there. I brushed it off and breathed a sigh of relief when my eyes finally landed on Stefan, who had an arm around Elena whilst talking to someone, I tensed when I saw who it was they were talking to, that someone was definitely not going to be happy to see me. I had staked that someone when I first came back to Mystic Falls, Stefan's best gal pal, Lexi.

I quickly made my way through the throngs of people, hoping Lexi wasn't going to cause a scene here when she saw me. I was halfway to them when someone stepped into my path, blocking it, I grimaced when I saw who it was.

"We need to have a little chat Damon," Vicki Donovan hissed at me, anger written on her face.

I barely stopped myself from rolling my eyes, I hoped no one else I had killed would pop up tonight as I didn't want to spend my night dodging vengeful spirits.

"Vicki, how lovely to see you," I told her, flashing her my trademark grin.

"Cut the shit Damon, we need to talk," she replied.

"Can we take a rain check? I really need to speak to my brother," I glanced at her, her face twisted into an angry scowl and was about to retort when her brother came up and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, glaring at me.

"Hey Vicki, how about a game of pool?" He asked, smiling down at her. Vicki looked unsure for a moment before glancing up at her brother and nodded.

"Sure Matty, Damon, we'll continue this later," she was led away by her brother and I couldn't hold in my sigh of relief.

I finished making my way over to my brother who looked at me, confusion written all over his face, Elena smiled, she seemed almost relieved.

"Damon, what's going on around here?" Stefan questioned, motioning to the spirits around us.

"I have no idea but the Spirits seemed to have descended onto Mystic Falls, which sucks as a lot of people seem to have it out for me tonight," I answered with a shrug.

"Well, I wonder why they would want to hurt you Damon," Lexi said.

"Hello Lexi, did I mention that I'm terribly sorry about the whole staking thing?" I greeted her, a frown marred her face, she took a step towards me before Stefan grabbed her arm, shaking his head.

"Seriously Damon? That's the first thing you thought to say?" Stefan rolled his eyes.

"What are we going to do?" Elena asks, looking between Stefan and I, ignoring Lexi altogether.

Elena never seemed to like Lexi, even though she barely knew her. She would crinkle her nose and scowl everytime her name was mentioned. I secretly thought she was jealous about the close friendship that Stefan and Lexi shared but it seemed to grow even more when she found out that we had slept together in the 70's. I didn't understand why though, Elena and I weren't together, we never would be but Elena seemed to hate that. She was a lot like Katherine in that sense, she wanted both Stefan and I wrapped around her attention, vying for her attention and she hated that didn't happen. I only had love and affection for one woman in my heart but she had been lost to me forever, due to my own stupid decisions and I would forever pay the price and feel the guilt that consumed me.

"I don't know Elena but seeing as no one is dying and no wants to kill anyone other than myself, we should just see how this plays out, if they start feeling murderous then we step in and fix it," I replied with a shrug. Elena didn't seem too happy with my answer but before anyone else could notice her facial expression, she planted a fake smile onto her face before turning back into Stefan's arms. Lexi was watching Elena with a guarded expression on her face.

"So Lexi, how has the other side been treating you?" I asked, throwing an arm around her shoulder, ignoring Elena's glare, Lexi shrugged my arm off her.

"Fine," she answered cooly.

We spent the next 20 minutes or so talking amongs each other, Lexi seemed to thaw out a little and soon enough Stefan and Lexi were joking and laughing amongst each other much to the displeasure of Elena who was stewing in jealousy, she wasn't happy she wasn't centre of attention.

"Hello Poppet, fancy seeing you here," a voice sounded behind Elena.

Elena jumped and spun around, a sharp intake of air was the only sound she made as she saw the grinning face of Kol Mikaelson stood there. Elena took a step back in fright when he took a step forward, Stefan pushed her behind him. Kol's grin grew even wider at that.

"What are you doing here Kol?" Stefan asked.

"I came to talk to our dear little doppelganger here, I wanted to see if she felt any guilt or conscience towards what she did to me, maybe a little payback whilst I'm here," he replied smoothly, the grin not falling from his face. Great, a pissed off Original to add to the vengeful spirit list. Elena shuddered and clung to Stefan's back.

"Kol, I'm sorry about what happened," Elena whimpered, looking up at him through her long lashes, Kol rolled his eyes and snorted.

"Now poppet, don't lie, the only reason you're saying that is because I'm here and not stuck on the other side like you want me to be," he smirked knowingly, Elena's face flushed, "You're not so big when your hunter brother isn't around, where is he by the way? I need a little chat with him after I'm done with you poppet." Elena gritted her teeth in anger.

"Kol, enough," a familiar feminine voice called from behind him, a hand resting on his shoulder, I froze and waited to see if it was who I thought it was.

Kol turned slightly to reveal a brunette woman stood there, someone who I never thought I would see again, let alone be in the same room as her.

"Ah Bella, there you are," Kol replied with a smile, how did Kol know Bella?

"Bella," her voice left my lips as a pained whisper, my heart constricting in my chest as I took in her appearance.

She looked exactly as she had the last time I saw her 5 years ago, she was wearing a white bridal gown with lace sleeves and hugged her figure in all the right places. Her mahogany locks were in loose curls in a half up, half down hairstyle that went to her lower back, a beautiful daisy crown weaved amongst the curls. She had a smokey eye look with nude lips, she made the vision of a beautiful bride, a vision that any man would love to see walking towards him.

She looked beautiful but there were a few things that made the vision into a nightmare, the front of her dress was drenched in blood, her blood. Her wrists had been slit you could see bruises marring her creamy white skin, the worse thing was the fact that half of her throat had been torn out, I lowered my eyes, ashamed at the vision in front of me.

"Hello Damon," She greeted me politely, I once again looked at her to see her eyes giving me the once over.

"Who are you? And why do you look like a horror movie reject?" Elena spat, glaring at Bella, Kol growled low in his throat as she stepped out from behind Stefan, why was Kol protecting Bella? Were they an item?

"This is how I looked when I died," Bella responded, she shot me a questioning glance, I sighed before nodding, "My name is Isabella Marie Salvatore," she answered Elena's first question, Stefan's head snapped to mine as his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Salvatore? How could you possibly be a Salvatore? Stefan and Damon don't have any sisters," Elena hissed at Bella, I glared at her before stepping beside Bella who gave me a shy smile.

"She's a Salvatore as she's my wife," I responded on her behalf, ignoring the way Elena's mouth dropped open, fury and shock written on her face, if it was possible, she would have steam coming out of her ears about now.

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