DELENA POST-5X22: IT'S REAL

Chapter 2: Leave This World

"Today is the day we get out of Hell, cheers!" Damon tipped his glass of bourbon in Lucy Bennett's direction.

"You know, if I didn't end up getting stuck in this other world with you for four months, we probably wouldn't have become friends Damon," Lucy replied, smiling.

"Well - I don't know what's keeping you from seeing your cousin. Bonnie was happy to see you, you know? Elena mentioned it."

"Well now that Katherine's gone for good and things have simmered down, I'd love to have my cousin in my life," Lucy said.

Damon smiled, "I can't wait to leave this world. We were pretty lucky that we found this damn ascendant and instructions on how to use it...and I'm pretty lucky that a witch was trapped in here with me!" Damon winked at Lucy.

"Not just any witch. A Bennett witch. I didn't know Sheila had made this place a safety net for Bonnie, but I couldn't let her get stuck on the Other Side. Sheila must have known that I was back."

"Ah, yes, Bonnie's Grams...always looking out for her. I'm pretty sure she didn't intend for me to survive though..." Damon remembered how horrible he had been.

"Maybe not, but regardless it's a matter of a couple of hours and we're out of here. The eclipse will begin shortly, I'll do the spell, and we'll both be back with our loved ones."

"Yes, we will," Damon stirred his bourbon with his index finger, and his lips turned up in a smile. He was thinking of how he'd surprise Elena; how he'd hold her in his arms and promise her that he'd never leave her again, how he'd get to hear her say his name again, and how he'd kiss every inch of her body, reassuring her that he was back forever.

"Missing Elena?" Lucy interrupted Damon's thoughts, guessing correctly.

Damon glanced up at his new friend and nodded slightly.

"What's the first thing you're going to tell her when you see her?" she continued, trying to speed up the time left before they could return to Mystic Falls. She knew that Damon could talk about Elena for hours; he already had on many occasions. And she would listen. She was curious about Katherine's doppelganger, whom she had helped save a few years ago by basically telling Katherine to go fuck herself. She smirked at how well she had fought back.

Damon thought for a moment as he gazed into the distance. The memory of Elena getting into the car with him and refusing to leave despite knowing the consequences followed by the painful memory of Elena begging him not to leave her flashed before him, and his eyes welled up with tears. He blinked them away, too tired to cry and too excited to be going home to her. He would see her very soon. Damon then said, "I'm going to tell Elena how much I love her." He glanced up at Lucy and was met with kind eyes.

"She's going to be so happy and relieved to have you back, Damon. I saw how distraught she was when she found out that the spell had been interrupted, that she couldn't get you back. She died with you to prevent this, Damon. It killed her to know that her efforts were completely wasted. I could see that through her tears, and I know that what you two have is beautiful."

"I need her," Damon looked down at the ground, and noticed it getting darker. Lucy saw the same, and both of them looked up to see the beginnings of the eclipse.

"Let's go home."