Chapter Eleven

Quietus

The group returned to Mystic Falls but it was different now. Not everyone came back alive.

Damon Salvatore was dead.

The dark cloudy weather was appropriate for what they were all feeling when they entered the Gilbert house, seeing Caroline scrubbing the carpet where Kol had died.

"I tried to get the stain out but the scorch marks…." Caroline trailed off as she saw Stefan carrying a body in a blanket.

"Carry him to my room." Elena ordered as she started up the stairs. Stefan compiled without disagreeing. He laid his brother on her bed and stepped back to watch Elena sit beside Damon and take his hand in hers. She brushed her thumb over his daylight ring a few times and then looked up at Stefan.

"Can you send Bonnie up?" She asked through a choked breath.

"Elena, she can't.."

"Just send her up, Stefan!" She snapped.

"What happened?" Caroline pressed as she looked at Bonnie and Jeremy as they grouped in the kitchen.

"Katherine happened." Jeremy started. "She tricked me and Damon." He paused for a breath. "She killed him and took the cure."

"Ohh.." Caroline let out in a silent gasp. A pang of sadness hit her heart as she realized two of her friends had lost someone close to them. Elena would be fighting grief yet again and Stefan could be at risk of spiraling from losing the last of member of his family. Caroline took a long breath to hold back her own feelings and asked how they were holding up.

"Stefan was upset before and ran off but he seems to be focused on Elena at the moment." Bonnie told her. "But, Elena.."

"Elena won't leave his side. She tried to attack Stefan and Rebekah when they moved his body." Jeremy told her.

"She's gonna need all of us to survive this." Caroline advised. Both Bonnie and Jeremy nodded. They were discussing how, when Stefan entered the kitchen.

"Stefan.." Caroline said in a soft, apologetic voice as she took in his defeated demeanor.

"I know, Caroline." He replied in a breath. He then turned to Bonnie. "Elena wants you up there." He said and Bonnie's face faded. "You know what she's going to ask?" Stefan added.

"I know. She's gonna ask me to bring him back." Bonnie replied. "But I don't think I can, my magic is too dangerous."

"I know." He replied but then he lowered his voice. "Lying to her is only going to extend her denial. It won't be easy Bonnie, but you have to say no." He whispered. Bonnie nodded, knowing this was going to hurt Elena and in return would hurt her.

"I can come with you." Jeremy offered as he touched Bonnie's arm.

"I'll be fine."

"She could attack you, Bonnie. She is not thinking straight." Jeremy replied.

"I can do this. If you're worried about me, you can wait on the stairs." Bonnie said before leaving the kitchen to began her climb up the stairs. Stefan dropped his head down as the witch left the room and Caroline moved over and hugged him.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered. He hugged her back and let out his first cry since losing his brother.

"You're coming back to me, Damon." Bonnie heard Elena say before she entered her room. Bonnie saw Elena lying on the bed with her back leaning against the headboard and Damon's body laying between her legs. She had removed the blanket completely and also his leather jacket. She had also placed a towel over the wound on his chest, as if she was trying to treat the wound and stop the bleeding.

Bonnie was overcome with sadness when she took in both of their faces. All of Damon's skin was gray and his neck was riddled with popped veins and his eyes were closed tightly. Elena's face was blotchy with paleness and redness. Her eyes were puffed and her cheeks glistened with tears as her bottom lip was still trembling. It broke Bonnie's heart to see her friend in so much pain.

"Elena." Bonnie spoke up and Elena shifted her gaze up from Damon to her.

"Bonnie, you need to help him. Bring him back." Elena demanded.

"I can't, Elena." Bonnie held her ground.

"Yes, you can. Use your new magic." Elena said in a firmer voice.

"I can't control it, Elena. I could make things worse."

"Nothing is worse than him being gone!" Elena shouted and sobbed. Bonnie flinched a little at Elena's response, she had never seen her friend this broken before.

"I'm sorry, Elena."

"Stop saying that!" Elena shouted again as she wiggled her body out from under Damon and stood up. Bonnie suddenly became nervous, seeing her vampire friend with strong emotions looking at her hard. Lucky her expression magic and Jeremy nearby made her feel safe, so she pressed.

"I won't do it, Elena." Bonnie said firmly. The witch didn't react quick enough. Elena blurred across to the doorway and grabbed Bonnie by the throat.

"Bring him back!" She screamed in her face and her vampire face showed itself. Before Bonnie could use her magic as a defense, Jeremy sped in and pulled Elena away.

"Stop, Lena!" He shouted. Stefan and Caroline both whooshed up the stairs and stood behind Jeremy. Elena stumbled back but regained her position.

"Bring him back!" She yelled again at all the faces on her. No one replied with words. They only stood there with sad expressions, but both Bonnie and Stefan shook their heads. "You're useless!" Elena hissed, staring at Bonnie. "Get out. All of you, get out!" She yelled loudly and pointed to her door. One by one, they retreated out of her room and walked down the stairs. Elena moved over and closed the door as soon they were gone. Elena's anger subsided and the agonizing pain returned to the surface of her chest. She looked back towards her bed and stared at Damon and her heart fell and it kept falling. Into a bottomless pit, an empty void. She broke out in a painful cry. She screamed as she begged to wake from this nightmare.

This couldn't be happening.

She looked around her room this time, looking for an answer again. She saw her own reflection in her mirror and was shocked to see her current state, she looked nothing like Elena. She considered a shower for a second but couldn't find the strength or motivation to do it. All she wanted was to have him back. The man she loves. She walked back to the bed and laid beside him. The pain was sitting at the top of her lungs now and started to travel down. Her hands started to tremble and then her whole body followed along. She felt more wetness in her eyelashes, so she squeezed her face upwards and closed her eyes, trying to hold it back, but it broke like a glass jar, shattering into a thousand pieces and the burning tears rushed out. She couldn't speak, she couldn't breathe, she could only cry and cry and suffer the relentless anguish of Damon being gone.

"I can't listen to her like this." Caroline said sadly as she leaned forward and looked around at the others. Stefan, Jeremy, Bonnie and Caroline were sitting in the lounge area, discussing the situation. Stefan stayed quiet as Caroline continued. "We can't keep his body up there, it's only gonna feed her denial."

"She'll attack you if you try, Care." Bonnie murmured.

"But we have to, Bonnie."

"I know." Bonnie whispered.

"We can wait until Elena falls asleep." Stefan spoke up softly.

"Where will you take him?" Caroline asked with soft eyes towards Stefan.

"Home." He responded with a sigh.

"Your family has a crypt. Do you want to plan a funeral?" Caroline asked. Stefan looked at her again with a broken look.

"I can't think about that right now." He responded. "I want to find Katherine."

"You can't leave, Stefan. She will need all of us." She said as Stefan stood up and narrowed his look at her. "And you need people too."

"I have to Caroline. I need a singular focus, otherwise I will fall apart." He admitted and then walked out of the room.

"Stefan!" Caroline called out, but he was out of the house in a flash. The room became silent for a moment between the remaining three until Jeremy noticed something important.

"Where's Klaus?" He asked Caroline as he finally noticed the hybrid wasn't still trapped in the house.

"He left. He said something happened to you Bonnie and the spell broke." Caroline explained as she looked at Bonnie.

"I was hurt in the tomb, but Damon saved me."

"He did?" Caroline asked with a confused face.

"He gave me his blood and helped Jeremy with the other hunter." Bonnie recalled with a sad expression. "But then Katherine entered, pretending to be Elena."

"Why would she kill Damon like that? I thought she loved having both brothers around." Caroline wondered.

"She wanted the cure and Damon would've stopped her." Jeremy interjected and they understood that was probably true.

A few hours had passed and Jeremy and Caroline quietly entered Elena's bedroom and found her sleeping next to Damon.

"She's asleep.." Jeremy whispered.

"Yeah." Caroline murmured. "It's kinda creepy she can sleep like that." She gestured to Elena's arm over Damon's chest.

"My sister was too busy crying to realize that." Jeremy bit back at her comment and she gave him an apologetic look. He then got into his position to pick up Damon's body. They both planned it out carefully. Jeremy would take his body to the boardinghouse and Caroline would stay back to make sure Elena doesn't wake up and if she did, she would handle it. Caroline readied herself as Jeremy carefully pulled Damon's body to the edge of the bed. They both stilled when Elena's arm fell off Damon's chest and hit the mattress.

"Careful.." Caroline whispered. Jeremy nodded and then put his hands down on the bed, like a forklift he slid his arms underneath Damon and scooped him up. Jeremy was expecting him to be heavier, but the hunter strength he possessed made Damon weigh like a sack of potatoes. He moved swiftly and got out of the room with ease. Caroline watched him leave and then turned to her sleeping friend.

"I'm so sorry, Elena." She whispered as she sat down at Elena's desk, staring at her sleeping friend. Caroline was so conflicted. She wanted to find Stefan. She was worried he was off doing something reckless, but she was also worried for Elena. Her friend would freak out when she wakes up and Elena could do something just as bad.

"You okay?" Bonnie whispered from the door. Caroline looked up and saw her at the threshold with a concerned expression.

"I'm worried about both of them." Caroline whispered back.

"I can't believe she has to go through this again. She's already lost so many loved ones." Bonnie replied as she stood next to Caroline. "And the way she was with Damon.." Bonnie choked. "She loved him."

"It's worse this time, her grief is heightened." Caroline explained.

"You think she'll turn it off?" Bonnie asked with a very worried look.

"I really hope not." She shook her head. "We have to help her process the grief so she doesn't flip the switch." Caroline explained and Bonnie nodded.

"Are you okay to watch her for now?"

"Yeah, I'm going to stay until she wakes up." Caroline answered. Bonnie nodded and then left to go home for some much needed rest. Caroline watched her friend for hours, Elena had stirred and mumbled a few times and Caroline was relieved that her friend could have a moment's peace from crying and feeling pain. When she would wake up, it would all come back.

A crackling sound, like lightning, but there was no light. It was complete darkness, no touch, no smell, no sight, only a sound. The blackness eventually began to turn into a dark blue, then became a foggy green. A picture began to surface. It was the bar that he loved to drink with Ric.

The Mystic Grill.

Damon suddenly awoke on the floor of the restaurant and took a strong inhale, he rolled around and clawed at his chest with his hands looking for the stake. It was gone. He took a moment to look around from his seated position. The Grill looked the same except everything was discolored and foggy, it was like looking through swim goggles that were tinted green.

"What the hell?" He said as he got to his feet. He did a full rotation on the spot as he looked around the place, looking for someone he knew. When he looked past the bar, he spotted Matt. He approached the bar and shouted to him.

"Quarterback! Give me a bourbon now." He ordered. Matt only kept walking along the bar to the taps and poured beers for other patrons. "Did you not hear me, Donovan?" He barked but Matt only continued to serve other drinks. "I'll have to help myself then." He snarked and then tried to snatch a bottle from the bar, but his hand went straight through the glass object. "What the fu..?" He cursed as he kept trying to pick up the bottle.

"What is this place?" He asked out loud while he turned around, facing the door.

"I died, didn't I?" A sad and defeated expression came over his face. He turned back and spotted a stool, he leaned down to sit but he lost his balance as his body went through the barstool. "Seriously! I can't even sit down." He spat out as he recovered from falling on his ass. When he got to his feet again he was hit by the last images of his death. The dark tomb, Katherine, the stake, and little Gilbert's mug being the last person he saw.

"Elena.." He said under a breath. He hadn't seen her since they stood together at the top of the hill on the island and they both promised to be careful. A promise he broke. Damon didn't know what this place was but he was glad he could still be in Mystic Falls. Without pondering anything more, he took off, heading for the large white house with the wrap-around porch.

Damon thought it was cool he didn't have to open doors, only passed through them but when he entered Elena's bedroom every positive emotion was sucked out of the atmosphere and was darkened with pain. He saw the girl he loved curled up in her bed, crying and holding onto his corpse. Damon couldn't see clearly or hear her sobs but he felt everything and his heart trembled.

"Oh, baby.." He murmured as he stood over Elena. He badly wanted to brush her hair and caress away her tears. Seeing her like this was worse than death. He stood in a paralyzed stance watching the scene play before his eyes. He saw Bonnie enter her room, they seemed to have a heated discussion and then Elena attacked the witch.

"It's not her fault, Elena." Damon pleaded and tried to pull her back but cursed when his hands ghosted through her. He watched Jeremy ran in to break them apart and then Stefan and Caroline appeared in the doorway. Damon stared at his brother and he could see he wasn't doing well.

"Don't you even think about spiraling over this, brother." Damon said firmly as he approached Stefan. "And you're definitely not gonna blame yourself for this." Damon then turned to see Elena screaming something at the group and they all left the room.

"I know you're hurt baby, but you can't push them away." He comforted and tried to hug her. "This ghost shit is awful." He mumbled. Elena moved and laid back on the bed and continued to cry. Damon would easily accept being tortured by Klaus or suffer from a thousand werewolf bites than have to watch his girl falling apart. As he watched her shaking with sobs, he then realized where he was.

There was only one place that would do this to people.

"Okay, now I know where I am. Hell."

Stefan needed a lead on Katherine. While downing several shots of whiskey at the Grill, he thought about why Katherine wanted the cure so badly. She had literally spied, followed and ambushed them and killed Damon just to steal out from under them. Stefan knew for sure she wouldn't take it herself, Katherine loved being a vampire just as much Klaus loved being the Original hybrid.

But the cure did have incredible value, there was only one in the world after all.

"There you are." A female voice said as she slid into the booth in front of Stefan. He looked up to see Rebekah.

"What? Did you think I ran off? Or did you expect your brother to kill me?" He replied.

"Don't worry about Nic, he's focused on killing Tyler tight now, and he had a werewolf as a dinner guest last night." Rebekah explained. "What are you doing, Stefan? I can tell you're thinking about something?" She questioned.

"I want to find Katherine." He said in a direct tone.

"Same here. God knows what she's going to do with the cure." She said, shaking her head.

"I've thought about it, she won't take it herself." He replied while taking in a gulp of alcohol.

"True." Rebekah thought for a moment as she realized Katherine's angle. She leaned forward and told Stefan. "I'm pretty sure she will offer it to my brother in return for her freedom." Stefan took a moment then agreed.

"That makes the most sense, it's what she's always wanted." He replied and then emptied his glass. "That would mean she'd be close to Mystic Falls."

"Or she has someone brokering the deal for her." Rebekah added.

"That does sound more like her." He scoffed. "We need to talk to your brother."

"Let's go." Rebekah replied without hesitation. She wanted the cure for herself, and with it being in Katherine's hands, there was no time to waste.

"I heard your brother died on that little trip for the cure." Klaus smirked as he addressed Stefan and his sister. Stefan wanted to lunge forward and strike Klaus but he swallowed his rage and pushed for a lead.

"I'm not here to hear you gloat Klaus, we need to find Katherine." Stefan said.

"Of course." Klaus said as he paced in front of his fireplace. "But I'd like to know how Katerina got past all of you and ran off with the cure."

"That doesn't matter anymore, Nic." Rebekah interjected.

"Poor Elena though." Klaus continued his thought while ignoring his sister. "Grieving another loved one." He then turned his gaze and settled on Stefan. "I'm curious Stefan, how long will you wait until you start wooing your ex? There's no more Damon in the way now." He smirked wildly. Rebekah sensed Stefan's angry reaction and held him back as Stefan tried to lunge forward.

"Stop it Nic!" She shouted at her brother as her strong hands held Stefan back. "We need to find her."

"Fine." Klaus replied as his taunting behavior vanished. "I may have had a run in with a vampire that might know where she is, but.." He paused. "He's dying as we speak."

"You bit him?" Rebekah asked, already knowing the answer. Klaus nodded.

"Where?" Stefan asked in a firm voice.

The world had changed so much in two thousand years. So many people. So many shiny, giant structures and moving objects. Energy was fascinating, art and music were still the best things humanity had created. Now that Silas was alive again, he had a lot to discover. Getting off the island didn't take long, but now he was around people, it was difficult to move. If people were to see his real face during the day, they would scream and run away. He needed more blood. It was the only way to rejuvenate his powers and strength. With his powers, day travel would be easier. His psychic abilities would help him hide his real face. He found himself in a small town and fed from the first few people he could find. He was still starving but at least he could travel now. He began heading south, for the town called Mystic Falls. He had learned a lot from the few that were in the tomb with him, but what he wanted, needed was the witch that cast the spell. He needed her for another one, a spell that would help him reunite with his soul mate.

Elena stirred as the morning sun shined through her bedroom window and lit up her eyelids with a pink light. She groaned and then turned over to face the bathroom and tried to fall asleep again but all the anguish and sadness hit her like a rockfall, and she instantly realized why she was feeling this way.

"Damon.." She mumbled as she suddenly sat up. She looked to her side and found the other side of her bed empty. A wave of panic coursed through her and she quickly got to her feet and she started circling her room looking for him.

"Elena. It's okay, calm down." Caroline said as she appeared in the doorway holding a steaming mug of coffee. Elena turned and stared daggers at her friend.

"Where is he?"

"He's gone, Elena. Damon died, you have to accept it." Caroline said firmly, trying her best to break Elena's denial.

"No!" Elena screamed. "No, no, no." She continued as she ran her hands up in her messy hair and threw her hands down in anger. "Where is he?" She seethed.

"Jeremy took him to the boardinghouse." Caroline answered. Elena looked around her room and found Damon's leather jacket on her floor. She picked it up and then walked to the door and stared hard at Caroline as she blocked her path.

"Move. I need to be with him." Elena said.

"You being there won't change anything, Elena. He's gone."

"Shut up!" Elena yelled as she shoved her friend hard and ran past her down the stairs. Caroline quickly recovered and followed her.

"I'm sorry, Elena. Come back!" She shouted as Elena beelined out the door and got in her car. Caroline huffed in defeat as she watched her friend speed off. She had seen Elena fight grief before but this time would be worse. Elena was still in denial and Caroline wondered how long she would stay there before she reached the next stage.

"What's your name?" Stefan asked in a harsh voice as he squeezed the injured vampire's neck.

"It's…Will." He sick vampire answered.

"Alright, Will. If you answer our questions, we'll give you this. Heal that bite right up." Rebekah chimed as she showed him the small glass bottle filled with Klaus's blood. Will nodded under Stefan's grip.

"We're looking for Katherine Pierce. Where is she?" Stefan asked as he eased his grip.

"The runner, brunette, attractive. Total bitch." Will coughed.

"That'd be her." Rebekah confirmed.

"What do you mean runner?" Stefan asked.

"I get IDs for vampires." He stopped to cough and wince as the venom moved through his veins. "I've had the same client for a long time. A vampire that's been on the run for centuries." He finished and coughed some more.

"How do we find her?" Rebekah asked and Will hesitated. He didn't want to betray any of his clients. Having older, angry vampires after you would be very bad. "You'll die a slow and painful death if you don't get this cure." She smirked while shaking the bottle at him.

"My bar in New York has all the paperwork. You'll find the last address I sent her new identity to."

"Good, what's the name of the bar?" They got the name and left Will after giving him Klaus's blood. Stefan had a location and a lead that would bring him to the vampire that killed his brother.

"Road trip sounds fun." Rebekah smiles and Stefan just huffs at her before they leave to head north for the city that never sleeps.

Elena walked into the Salvatore house and it felt more empty than usual. Stefan was absent and not a single light was on, nor a fireplace was burning, it was completely void of life, but Elena refused to believe it. Damon would come back to her. She vamp sped around the giant house looking for him, starting in his bedroom. She eventually found him in the basement lying on the cot and wrapped in a white sheet.

A choked sob entered her throat as she sat down by his side, pulled the sheet back and looked over his stiff, lifeless body.

"You promised…Damon." She cried quietly, trying her best to breathe. Elena felt like her heart wasn't whole anymore, like a crucial piece was missing. The world around her was numb and all light seemed darker. Elena just wanted to lie down next to him and wait for this nightmare to end. She didn't want to believe that the worst thing in her life had actually happened. She wanted the man she loved back. She wanted it so much. Most of all, she wanted the pain to be gone and the happiness to come back. The happiness she found with him.

She felt like she was dying. She squeezed her eyes shut and felt that switch in her mind that every vampire had. All she had to do was flip it for the grief to be gone. For a moment she considered it. She would instantly feel better, but at what cost?

An emotionless vampire was dangerous and she didn't want to risk hurting people. But most of all, she never wanted to lose her love for him. Their romantic relationship had only lasted days, but Elena knew this was her true was completely and irrevocably in love with Damon, and as bad as the endless grief was, she didn't want to pass on this kind of love.

"I'm not doing it, Damon." She wept through tears and placed a hand over his. "This hurts...too much...but I'm not...letting go of you." She cried and ran her thumb over his daylight ring. She slowly pulled the ring down and over his knuckles and clasped the object in her palm. She choked back more cries but made it to her feet. Moving like a desolate being, she grabbed a few bags of blood from the basement freezer and retreated to Damon's bedroom and curled up in the center of his large bed, palming his ring, wearing his jacket and taking small sips of blood. She was wrapped up in his sheets, his scent and their shared memories. She decided she wouldn't leave this spot until the love of her life was returned.

Her friends wouldn't see her for days.

"Where are you, Stefan?" Caroline asked through her phone.

"I'm not in Mystic Falls." He replied.

"What? You left? I need you here, Elena has run off!" Caroline explained as she searched through the boardinghouse.

"I need to do this, Caroline." He stated firmly. "I'm sure Elena is wherever Damon is."

"His body is in your cellar and she's not here."

"Did you check his room?"

"Oh." She chirped. Caroline left the Salvatore library and trailed up the stairs to Damon's room. After opening the door she found her friend in Damon's bed, clutching the sheets up to her chin and whimpering with a quivering lower lip. "I found her but you need to get back here, Stefan. Katherine can wait. You need to say goodbye to your brother." Caroline said as she was the only one thinking about a funeral for Damon. She thought it would be the ideal outlet for them to process their grief.

"I'm not doing that, Caroline!" He yelled and angrily ended the call.

"She's right, you know." Rebekah said from his passenger seat.

"No. I need to focus on finding Katherine, otherwise.."

"Otherwise, you'll feel your grief and you're worried it'll break you." She finished for him and he nodded. "I won't let you spiral, Stefan." He briefly looked at her and saw her sincerity in her gaze.

"Let's just get the cure before it's lost forever." He said flatly and continued the drive to New York.

"Elena?" Caroline said as she sat down next to her friend. Caroline could feel her heart breaking at the site of Elena's state. Her face was pale, except for the redness around her eyes which were barely blinking. Her body was in a limbo of complete stillness, curled on her side and cocooned in his sheets and leather jacket. Caroline let out a sigh when she noticed her hand and spotted Damon's daylight ring looped on Elena's ring finger. Caroline couldn't find the words to comfort her, so she just sat there and held her hand over Elena's, hoping the contact was good enough.

Elena couldn't feel it though.

All she felt was pain and it made her catatonic, simply shutting down just to survive endless grief.

A part of heart was missing, as was a part of her soul.

She was beginning to think she couldn't live without him.

Where are you, Damon?

Watching over her but not being able to comfort her was worse than hell. Whatever Elena was feeling, he was feeling it too. He couldn't even drink or sleep or even feed to feel better, even for a moment. He was watching the blonde vampire trying to get Elena to move out of his bed but his heart was breaking because of her reaction.

Or lack of a reaction.

Elena was completely still and her brown eyes were wet and vacant. Damon knelt down and moved his hand over Elena's face, remembering how soft and warm her cheeks felt, how her breath would quicken at his touch. The magical sound of her giggle and that smile that could light up any room.

"I'm so sorry, Elena." He whispered out in a subtle sob. "You are by far the greatest thing that ever happened to me in my 172 years on this earth. The fact I got to spend my last days completely in love with you, was worth all the pain that came before. I can't imagine where we'd be if we had more time." He murmured through beginning tears. "I love you, Elena." He whispered as he ghosted his hand across her face, imagining the feel of her skin. "You don't deserve to grieve another." He finished and then stood back to his feet. He couldn't take the sight of a broken Elena anymore. He wanted her to be happy.

She deserved to be happy.

"It's miserable isn't it?" Damon heard a rough voice speak. It was the first sound he had witnessed since waking up in this hell dimension. Damon quickly shifted his eyes to the foot of his bed and found a strange man standing there.

"What the f.. Who are you?" Damon let out a gasp as he noticed the man's blank face and ancient dress sense. "And why are you wearing a dress?" He quipped.

"Who I am doesn't matter right now, Damon." The stranger replied.

"You know me?" Damon gave him a quizzical look.

"Of course, I know all about you." He replied in his same low tone as he began circling around the bed and looking at Elena. "I know about your twin flame too." Damon paused for a moment and reflected on his final words. Twin flame? Was he talking about Elena?

"Twin flame? Seriously man, who are you? And what the hell is this place? I feel like I've been here for months and you're the first person I've seen that actually talks back."

"I don't know if humans have a name for this place."

"So you're not human? Are you a vampire?"

"No, what I am isn't important right now. What is important is what I can do for you." The man said as he slowly walked away from the bed.

"What are you talking about?" Damon asked as he started following him.

"You're going to need to trust me."

"Ha, I don't trust easy." Damon couldn't help but smirk. "Just ask my brother why."

"You will Damon, because I give what you want most." The stranger replied as he turned to Damon.

"Yeah, what is that?"

"I can send you back, Damon." He paused. "Back to her."