"Sorry for taking so long" Damon apologized the next morning, greeting me with a kiss on the cheek.
"Hm, it's alright" I mumbled, my eyes fluttering closed. "What happened?"
"A problem with Vicky Donovan's ghost… Then Bonnie tried to get rid of it"
"Tried?" I asked opening my eyes again.
"Well, I think Mason Lockwood's ghost is screwing with me, so…" he shrugged.
"What?" I asked alarmed.
"Don't worry, it's under control" he assured me quickly.
"Really?"
"Really"
"Since you are back, I'm gonna go hunting" Edward said standing up from the couch.
"Okay, thanks" Damon said with his eyes still on me.
Edward paused by the door at Damon's words and then shot me a small smile. Once he had walked out, I cocked an eyebrow at Damon.
"Did you just say thanks to Edward?" I asked smiling. "You were polite to him"
"Shut up" he said with a small smile.
"You like Edward" I said teasingly. "Hm, who would have guessed? You swore you wouldn't be his friend"
"I'm not, I'm just thankful he stayed with you while I couldn't"
"I'm glad, Damon" I whispered.
"You look so tired" he mumbled caressing my cheek with his fingertips.
"I didn't sleep last night" I lied.
I had slept all night and woke up just a little before Damon arrived. I should be well rested.
"When can I get out of the hospital?" I asked, closing my eyes.
"When you are as good as new" he said.
"Never then"
"Soon, Bella"
"Okay" I breathed. "You don't have to say here, Damon, I'm just gonna sleep" I said.
"I promised I wouldn't leave you and I already did"
"Jake just went to get some coffee, he'll keep me company if I wake up before you're back"
"Are you kicking me out?" he asked amusedly.
"You mentioned Mason's ghost haunting you, so… I don't want you around until he's gone" I said jokingly. "God knows what he might do to me for helping you… kill him"
"Coward" he said teasingly.
"But seriously now… You need to solve that, it might create a lot of trouble"
"I know" he sighed.
"I'll be here when you get back" I said. "Go"
"You promise?" he whispered.
"Yeah" I smiled.
"Okay, I'll ask Jacob to call me when you wake up" he whispered. "I'll miss you"
"Cheesy" I teased.
"Fine" he laughed.
He kissed me in the corner of the lips and I opened my eyes. He stared at me for a long time and gave me a peck before walking out. I fell asleep with a smile.
"Bella!"
I groaned and opened my eyes.
"Bella, look" Jake said happily.
I looked around the room and my eyes stopped at the door. My eyes filled with tears and I blinked, thinking the hallucination would go away.
"Dad?" I cried.
He smiled and walked to me calmly. I tried to sit up, but he gently pushed me back and kissed my forehead. I clung to him and he lay in bed, holding me as I cried on his chest. He was wearing his old plaid shirt and his scent filled my nostrils.
Jake left so we could talk. Dad told me he had been keeping an eye on me. He was back because Bonnie's spell went wrong, and the ghosts with unfinished business were manifesting. He said it was luck I was thinking of him that day or he wouldn't be back. I knew differently, I thought of him everyday.
"You shouldn't have done that to Renée, Bella" he said. "You took away her daughter"
"I was making sure she was safe" I mumbled.
"She won't even know what happened to you" he said sadly.
"It will be okay, dad" he gave me a questioning look. "I need to believe that"
"You got the Swan's luck" he chuckled with a frown.
"I don't think you've died three times and came back" I said smiling tiredly.
"You're tired, you should sleep"
"No, I'm fine"
"Bells, you need to rest"
"I'll rest later… I don't want to lose this…"
"Rest, Bella, I'll be here when you wake up" he said.
"You can't know that" I cried.
"I'm always with you, baby… I've never left"
I woke up with pain in my arm. I hissed and opened my eyes. Dad was standing on one side of the bed and an unfamiliar man was in the other.
"Leave my daughter alone" Charlie snapped.
"But I can get my revenge on dead founding families' descendents" the man smirked evilly.
I notice he had a lapis lazuli ring, he was a vampire.
"What?" I asked scowling at him. "What do you want?"
"Revenge" he laughed.
Next thing I know there was a excrutiating pain on my side. Dad jumped on the vampire, but the man easily threw him off and in a blur disappeared. I choked on something and the monitors started going off. Dad scrambled up and came to my side.
"I'm sorry, Bella" he said desperately.
Carlisle rushed in the room and hesitated looking at me and Charlie.
"I love…" I choked on blood and couldn't finish.
"It's okay, Bells, I love you too" Charlie cried.
Carlisle pulled Charlie away and started treating me, but I knew, forth was not the luck. I was going to die, for real.
After getting Alaric to see the cave Mason had taken him to, Damon rushed to the hospital.
When he entered the room his undead heart stopped.
There was only a nurse taking off the bloody sheets and turning off the monitors. She noticed him standing in the doorway and gave him a sad look.
No, no, no, this couldn't be.
"Where is she?" he said quietly.
"Mr. Salvatore… I'm so sorry, Ms. Swan died over an hour ago"