*****Author's Notes*****

Translations:

Ciao bella = hello beautiful

Ciao stronzo = 'stronzo' is hard to translate. It's a term used for a guy who can be.. well.. a dipshit, I guess :) In this manner though, it's said as an endearment. Kind of like saying "hi troublemaker" :o)

Scusa, signora = excuse me miss

Che cosa dire = what are you saying

Scusa = excuse me

Bene = good

. . .ooo. . .ooo. . .ooo. . .ooo

He moves silently in the dark quiet of the bar, his mouth burning at the anticipation of a good helping of his favorite bourbon. Something about that smooth burn that takes the edge off his nerves and soothes the loneliness in his heart.

"Line 'em up," he tells the bar keep, nodding in the direction of his preferred beverage and dropping a stack of twenties on the soiled bar. The bartender wastes no time in palming the money and setting up several tumblers as he quickly pours the amber liquid into the awaiting glasses. Silently he pushes them towards Damon and with a second thought, leaves the bottle for him as well as he turns and continues to wipe down the rest of the bar counter.

Damon picks up the first tumbler, shooting it back without feeling it. Has another. Then a third as he reaches for the bottle pouring himself another good two fingers of the firewater. Taking his time with the fourth he begins to feel the pleasurable tell-tale signs of a slight drunken haze creeping in around the edges of his vision. He turns to observe the rest of the dark bar when he begins to feel a presence, surprise etched on his face at not having noticed it the moment he walked in. Damon searches the deep dark corners of the bar with his excellent vision but doesn't see anything at first. Then he hears it with his vampire hearing because the pitch is just a little bit above what any human could possibly duplicate. A sound that surprisingly sends a pleasurable jolt down his spine… a sound that is almost familiar when he hears it again. A soft giggle.

His stormy eyes immediately lock on a set of brilliant hazel in the far back corner. Long lashes blink close seductively as cherry red lips purr in a soft Italian accent, a soft whisper no human ear would be able to hear, "Ciao stronzo," she smiles, revealing the point of a single fang for just a moment before covering her mouth with one delicately manicured hand.

Damon blinks his eyes. He can't help the grin that breaks across his face as he replies to her just as softly, knowing she will hear him, "Ciao bella".

The Vampire in the corner smiles and before Damon can even register the motions of his body, he scoops the half empty bottle of bourbon off the counter, glass tumblers in the other as he blurs over to the other side of the bar, sliding into the booth right next to those cherry red lips. He sets the bottle and glasses on the table never taking his eyes off the Vampire before him. "Scusa, signora" he smiles lazily taking her hand in his, gently laying a kiss on the back of it as he softly rubs his thumb across the back of her hand. "I know this is going to sound crazy, but have we met before?" He can't help the sexy, sensual smirk that lights across his face.

"Dam-iahn, che cosa dire," the Italian vampire laughs softly, blushing fiercely as she slowly takes her hand back. "It has been too long, no?" her accent rolling her r's and stretching her o's in a seductively erotic dance.

"It has been too long, Si," Damon smiles at her, unable to believe his eyes as he drinks her in. He had always loved the way she said his name, the way her accent dropped a sensual "ah" at the end of it, drawing the sound out like a promise of things to come. He's mesmerized by her Chestnut wavy hair and the way it hangs loosely around her shoulders with her perfect round breasts almost spilling out of her tight white silken top as he fondly remembers all the ways they used to find solace in each other. Giving himself a visible shake, Damon draws his gaze back up to her eyes, but she's still smiling, not caring where he chooses to linger his gaze on her. Finally he speaks when it becomes clear that she won't be the one to initiate this conversation.

"Mona" he starts, still clasping her hand in his, "I don't understand, how long has it been? I can't believe you're here of all places. What are you dong here? Are the others with you?" The questions come rushing out in an unexpected torrent and he feels bad when he sees the downcast look in the other Vampire's eyes.

"Dam-iahn" she speaks his name softly, "you sound like you are not happy to see me," she pouts as she cast her eyes down and away from him.

"No, oh god, I'm sorry, of course I am," berating himself in his head he turns her to face him, his hand lingering on her cheek. "I'm just, I'm just so surprised to see you and happy of course," he adds seeing her eyes brighten and he knows she understands that he means it.

"Bene" she beams as she locks gazes with him, "because I did not dare believe that you would really be here Dam-iahn" stretching the 'ah' that doesn't exist in his name as it simultaneously pulls at the smile on his face, "and yet, here you are." she finishes, beaming up at him.

He doesn't understand what she means at first. "What do you mean, did you know I was going to be here?" he asks, unable to conceal the surprise on his face.

"A little bit," she replies hesitantly, not sure if those are the correct words "I.. dream about you.. here," she gestures to the bar around them.

Damon knew that Mona was special like that. Had always been. She wasn't a Witch exactly. She was a Gypsy from Europe and somehow they were different from the Witches that were more common in North America. Not that Damon had any clue as to what those differences were besides the one obvious one. Unlike Witches, Gypsies still had their powers intact when they became Vampires which was just another reason why he tried his best to stay away from anything that even remotely smelled of the wicca stuff, as he liked to call it. But Mona? When she had her 'feelings' it was usually best to listen. It was odd though, he hadn't seen her since the second world war, when he had still been in Europe with his humanity in tact.

"It's so good to see you," he smiles, and he means it, forgetting her words for a moment. Her blush bringing back all the memories he had shared with this amazingly mysterious woman, yet he had been too wrapped up in his love for Katherine at the time and his mission to set her free to truly see the woman in front of him for who and what she was. Hadn't seen her in fact, since the last night they'd spent in each other's arms before he shipped off for his final tour of duty. From the way she was blushing, Damon was pretty sure she was remembering the same night as well.

Suddenly, without thinking, he leans towards her, brushing his lips against hers. He needs to know this is real. That she's really sitting here and not just some alcohol induced vision. Her surprised 'Oh' as their lips touch tell him everything he needs to know. She's real and she's here, her lips quivering just under his as she closes the distance between them. The feel of her soft skin on his lips tells Damon that if this is a dream, it was going to be a very, very good dream.

A loud ringing interrupts the moment as they break apart, their breaths heavy.

Damon looks at his phone, see's the name and closes his eyes saying a silent prayer, or was it a curse? before turning slightly from Mona, and speaking into the mobile. "Elena, what can I do you for?" he asks non pulsed, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Damon are you ok?" Elena asks, "you sound out of breath.. are you being attacked?"

"err.. ah .. no, not exactly," he replies and he can practically see her questioning gaze on the other end.

"But I'm sure you didn't call just to see if I was alive, which I am, so again, what's up Elena?" he asks looking away, taking in the dirty rafters of the bar.

"Scusa, Damiahn, I must go" Mona suddenly rises beside him. "I'm sorry."

It's amazing that Damon's head doesn't snap right off as he looks between Mona and the phone, his questioning gaze and hand gestures clearly asking her to give him a moment so he can end the call, but she ignores his pleas, a panicked expression in her eyes, "Please Dam-ian, the time is little. I will see you again," and before he can say anything more, she's gone. Damon's eyes widen in disbelief.

"Damon, are you with a woman?" Elena's slightly agitated voice sounds from the other end.

"Damon?" she asks again when he doesn't answer.

"Geesh, Elena" he says, coming to himself, his hand wiping across his face, "What does it matter, we're not together remember?" His anger rolling the r's a little harshly, "It's none of your business right Elena? You CHOSE that when you chose my super-hero baby bro, remember?" he didn't mean for the anger in his voice to be so evident, much less for the words to actually come out, but this night was not going quite as planned and he was going to need a lot more liquor.

"Damon... I'm sorry."

What? She was sorry? He was the one being a dick. "What do you have to be sorry for?" he snips back, not sure he wants to play into whatever game this is gong to be but finding himself unable to participate.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be the girl you wanted me to be, Damon."

Wait. What was she talking about.

"Elena?"

"I'm sorry I hurt you, Damon, I never meant too. Please know that."

"Elena," he can't help the gruffness in his voice and suddenly he doesn't care. "You're starting to scare me," his hands tighten on the phone, he can hear strange noises in the background.

"Elena, where are you?" panic suddenly rising in his chest.

"I just wanted you to know, Damon.. that if..."

"Elena answer me!" he's getting mad now, this isn't funny. Something is wrong.

"If things had been different.. I would have chosen different.. I would have..."

What is she talking about? None of this makes any sense and the gooseflesh erupting on his skin tells him even his body knows that something is very, very NOT right.

"Elena you're not making any sense. Tell me, where you are, I'll come get you," he pleads with her, not caring how he sounds. He'll get down on his knees and beg in a fucking tutu if it means she'll stop acting so weird and just tell him where she is!

"It would have been you Damon, I would have chosen you."

What?

But before he can register the shock of her words or what they might imply, his vampire hearing, which had been set at volume 10 to make out Elena's soft voice on the other end, suddenly explodes in the back of his head as broken eardrums start spilling blood from Damon's damaged ears, which amazingly enough still can't drown out the sound of Damon's guttural screams as he clutches his head with his arms, hunched over his chair, as the sound of a very real and very loud explosion on Elena's end rockets across the airwaves.

"ELEEEEENAAAAAA!"

His mind reels in slow motion as his heart retches in his chest, his screams of anguish and disbelief threatening to destroy everything. Red begins to pool in his eyes as the darkness of his vision begins to shimmer with his rage. There's an audible 'crack' and then everything goes black.

.

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