"You Keep Saving Me"

A/N: Thank you all for being so kind and wonderful with your reviews. Most of you wishing for a kiss but be patient.

Recap - Mason's back and Damon's jealous while Bella is...Bella. Read on...

BPOV

"Bullseye" I exclaimed, laughing when I caught his grimace as he looked at the dart on the red. "You still suck" I teased him and sat on the pool table.

He shrugged his defeat and made his way towards me. "You can't exactly blame me. I wasn't exactly able to practice" he said, reminding me once again that he was dead.

"So what do you do - on the other side?" I mumbled, already fearing his answer.

He fiddled with the dart and kept his eyes down. "Not much" he replied with another nonchalant shrug. "It's pretty boring" he sighed and peered at me. "We can see you though" he said and I drew in the cold air.

"You watch?" I pushed myself from the pool table and pretended to be interested in taking the other darts off the board.

His footsteps drew in closer to me. "Sometimes" Mason replied.

"Did you ever..." I trailed off, knowing that he would understand what I meant.

He leaned on the wall next to me and nodded. "I did" he whispered, crossing his arms over his chest and continued to sought out my diverted gaze. "I came to check up on you in Phoenix" he revealed, knowing that was what I was asking.

"When was that?" I gulped nervously, already knowing the answer with her ominous tone.

"I saw what happened" he was now standing behind me, placing a comforting hand onto my shoulder. "I wish I could-"

"Don't" I wriggled out from his hold and went back a few feet from the dart board, forcing myself to focus on the game once again.

I didn't want his words to bring me back to that fateful day. I did not want his apologies to trigger the memories and the smell that was somehow branded into my mind.

"There you go again" he followed me, his voice now stern. "Shutting me out" he elaborated, refusing to look away from me. "I wanted to help her" he revealed and I could already feel the boxed thoughts attempting to break free.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I shook my head, fighting it off. "Don't blame yourself" I murmured, bringing arm up to throw another dart - somehow missing the red.

Once again, his hand was on me but this time resting on the small of my back. "I don't" he whispered, leaning in close to add, "And I hope you don't either"

When I looked up, I internally groaned at the concern that iced his green eyes. "Can we just play darts?" I attempted to sidetrack him again.

"Let me buy you a drink first" he broke into a grin, trying to relive the past few happy moments we'd had.

"Heineken" I called after him when he walked away.

I turned back to the dart board and was ready to throw again but my body grew aware of the new person standing behind me. Somehow, I already knew that it was him.

"Mind telling me how the hell he's alive?" Damon questioned, not moving from behind me.

"I don't know" I shrugged because at the moment I didn't care. I had my friend back and I wasn't going to waste time questioning it. "Maybe the witch got her wires crossed" I offered.

Someone else appeared on my other side and I turned to the left, recognising the guy - Ric? He was the one who'd helped Stefan out of the fire. "Nice to see you again" I greeted.

"You too" Ric replied. "You look...healed" he smiled comfortingly.

"Thanks? I guess" I shrugged.

Damon now materialised before me, braking my stare with who was somehow his friend. "Let me guess? He wants revenge?" he snapped.

"Can you blame him?" I challenged, trying to fall back into the conversation.

"No,but he'll have to get in line" he growled with blue eyes darkening to a dangerous shade.

I wasn't scared but I did feel something...something that made me want to squirm from his stare...to hide away from his penetrating gaze.

Guilt?

Why should I feel guilty?

Sure, our last conversation wasn't exactly sunshine and rainbows, but I told him the truth.

I wanted - no - needed him to stop trying.

"I just want you to apologise" Mason appeared, holding out the bottle for me, which I easily accepted but broke into laughter. Alaric joining me as we were both amused with Damon Salvatore giving an apology.

That would be the day.

"I'm serious" Mason insisted.

Damon crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at him. "Haven't you got other priorities?" he asked. "Like...I don't know - looking for your nephew who is now a hybrid minion?" he suggested dryly.

"Tyler's the reason I'm here" Mason answered with a hard edge to his tone.

"Sorry to disappoint but no help there" Damon replied and took my beer, gulping some down but stopped when I slapped his arm. "Not while Klaus is alive anyway" he retorted, smirking at me before looking back at Mason again.

I looked down at my beer bottle, the top now wetted by his lips but for some reason, that didn't bother me.

"What if you found a weapon that could kill him?" Mason captured our attention and I looked up to him, curious and perplexed.

"There is n- what do you know?" Damon was still dubious.

Mason crossed his arms and smirked again, happy to know he had our attention. "You're gonna have to apologise"

After releasing a long sigh and then lengthening the silence, he relented. "Sometimes I do things that I don't have to" Damon glared at the ground as he ran through what was supposed to be a heart-felt apology. "Killing you was one of those things" he added.

"Good enough"

-XxxxxxX-

After a while, we managed to get a half-assed apology from Damon and we were now walking through the Lockwood cellar. A place that was not foreign to me.

Back in 1870-something, I had helped one of the Lockwood ancestors during their shift. However, as we took more turns, I was surprised by just how big the place was.

"You still hold Florida's university's record time for keg stand?" Mason distracted me and I blinked up to him.

"What about you? Was your beer pong king title stripped?" I asked with a small smirk, which he mirrored.

"No one could beat a champ like me" he beat his chest with his free hand because the other was holding a small lantern. "So Damon, did you go to college?" he inquired.

"Too many times" Damon lazily replied and I was now curious as to what the story was behind his disgust.

I turned around to read his expression. "Really? What did you study?" I quipped, surprising the both of us with my excitement, which was soon short-lived.

"Sorority girls..." he smirked and I turned back around, instantly disgusting but a part - a very small part of me was slightly turned on. "So what is this weapon we're supposed to be looking for?"he called to Mason.

"The old Lockwood family knew about some secret weapon that could kill an original vampire" Mason answered, waving the lantern about as we went down another creepy tunnel.

We then came up to another narrower opening and Mason stopped, gesturing for us to go in. "Well then, Damon go on" he offered.

"You first" Damon snapped.

Mason arched an eyebrow and sourly asked, "You still think I'm leading you into a trap?"

"It might've crossed my mind"

I rolled my eyes at their petty banter. "Children" I scoffed and walked inside, pushing a large rocky boulder aside on the way. We then continued down but had to stop again as there was a dead end ahead and two paths.

Without a second thought, I confidently walked towards the right path.

"Why right?" Mason asked.

I smiled to myself at the weakness of my joke. "It's always right"

"Ha ha" both he and Damon mocked me.

"Well, I thought it was f-" my words were cut off with my guttural growl when several spikes dug into my flesh but not dangerously close to any of the vital organs. "Argh" I growled, hissing and clenching my teeth as I drew in sharp hollow breaths.

"Bells?" Mason raced towards me but Damon was quicker.

He broke them off and I was surprised at his gentle touch when pulling me out from the pain. I collapsed onto him, hating the familiarity of him taking care of me, "You keep saving me" I gritted as the searing pain burnt my skin and the anguish spread through my veins.

"You're welcome" he smirked down at me and then lifted his wrist with a glint in his blue orbs. "Blood?" he offered.

I rolled off him and gripped the rough rock, pushing myself back up as I heaved."N-no" another gasped breath shook me. "It's alright" I shook my head. "I'll...um...ah...I-I'll heal s-soon" I hated my stammering but I was pleased to feel the wounds being healed this time.

Mason was now breaking down the rest of the spikes with the shovel. Once he was done, he turned to us. "Why don't you wait here a-"

"I'm fine" I promised with a tight-lipped smile as I straightened up. As OI took one step, my body betrayed me and I wobbled. Before I could hit the ground, Damon had his arm wrapped around the waist and helped me through.

"I'm already healing" I pushed him away and walked ahead again, pushing past Mason. "Anymore booby traps I need to be worried about?" I asked in frustration.

"Can't be sure" he answered honestly.

I clutched my stomach, feeling the blood that stained the t-shirt I wore, stumbling forwards so I used my free hand to hold the wall.

"You don-"

"I'm fine" I barked at Damon.

Nonetheless, I was touched that he cared, even after my bitch fest previously.

We walked on, me in the lead while Mason and Damon followed closely behind.

"Bella doesn't like people helping her" Mason whispered and I rolled my eyes.

"What's the deal with you? I killed you. I stuck my fist through your chest and ripped your heart out out of your chest" Damon exclaimed and I growled under my breath at his confession. "There is no way this whole trust thing act is real" he accused.

"We are all alone on the other side. We watch people that we left behind and regret every decision that led us where we are" Mason explained and I frowned, not liking the idea of him being so depressed. "Look I can't change what happened to me but maybe I can help Tyler" he said and then lowered his voice when he added. "and Bella"

I wondered what he meant by that but was distracted with Damon's voice. "I thought she didn't like people helping her" he threw his words back at him.

"Doesn't mean she doesn't need it" Mason replied. "You know, you're both very alike" he added and I grimaced at the thought.

That was exactly what I did not need.

I didn't want to hear him list our similarities or how we should care for each other...blah, blah, blah.

"Why don't you girls hug it out and I'll go on the weapon search" I sarcastically said and pushed myself up another rock, walking through again. This time with greater ease.

Mason simply chuckled at my irritation and followed in after me. The low glow of the lantern cast strange distorted shadows around the new opening.

"Aw come on" Damon growled and we stopped, turning around to see him still standing a foot away from us.

"What? What is it?" I hissed.

He scowled at my tone and tried to push in. "I can't get through" he answered, trying again but it was like some shield was holding him back. "It's like I'm not invited in" he said, slumping his shoulders in defeat.

"Then we're in the right place" I countered, walking further down and glancing around and my eyes zoned onto the white markings on the dark wall. "Mason pass me the-"

What I wanted clattered on the ground and I whipped back around to confirm what I feared.

There, on the ground lay the lantern with one glass pane smashed.

"What happened?" Damon called to us.

I walked back into his view, the lantern now in my hands as I sadly lowered my head. "He's gone" I stated numbly, still yet to feel the shock of having lost my friend.

"I'm...I-I'm sorry"

A/N: Damon apologised?! Bella is starting to feel some attraction to our beloved bad boy? Mason is gone - sad/happy?

Oh and Mason knows something about Bella's past - any theories?