Pivot: A Damon Restart Story

Chp 1

"What do you mean, we're broke?! Where the Hell did all our money go?" Damon was furious. He had come home from closing the bar to Elena complaining that they had no money for her to go out for the weekend. It was a common occurrence since Elena lost her medical license a couple years ago due to neglected patients in her care. She was well on her way to becoming Chief of Staff at Mystic Falls General when three patients died all within a week of each other. Now, the married couple of eight years rely solely on Damon's income from the bar he had bought a few years ago.

Elena internally rolled her eyes at her husband. She has always been able to get what she wants, this is no different. Elena looks at her husband with her big, doe, brown eyes expecting Damon to cave in and hand over everything. She knows the Salvatores have more money than what Damon has shown her, and she wants it all for herself. It is why she made sure to have forged a Living Will in Damon's name leaving everything to her when he dies. In Elena's mind, Damon is so in love with her that she could do no wrong. That is how it has always been.

What Elena doesn't realize is Damon has grown to hate his human life. He hates the fact that he is aging. He hates that he no longer has the strength, speed, and agility of when he was a vampire. Damon hates that he can no longer shift into a Crow. And most of all, he absolutely loathes the woman his wife has become. He remembers when Elena was sweet, caring, and selfless. But the more he thought about it, the more he remembered how much Elena and Katherine were alike. Damon had fallen for Elena so blindly; he didn't see her faults until it was too late.

Damon exhaled harshly through his nose, running his hand through his hair for the nth time. He looked up to the ceiling before looking back at his wife, "We cannot afford your lifestyle any longer. If you want to go out and get drunk with whoever it is you go with every weekend, you will have to use your own money. I will not spend any more of my money on your ungrateful ass." Elena gasped and dramatically clutched her chest, "Ungrateful! Who do you think you're talking to?!" Damon rolled his eyes at her dramatics, "You! You're ungrateful! I do EVERYTHING!! I cook, clean, pay the bills, and even feed your spoiled cat! While you sit on your ass and whine about how boring your life is! I gave up immortality for you!! I lost everything that is me because of you..." The realization hit him. Damon's cold, emotionless eyes focus on Elena, "I lost myself for you and I hate you for it."

BANG!!!

Elena lowered the still smoking gun with a smile, "Now, I will have everything to myself." She kicked the torso of the cooling body she just shot, "Should have killed you sooner." Elena stepped over Damon's body to hide the gun and then called the Sheriff. She had planned Damon's death years ago; she was just waiting for the right time. She had rehearsed what she was going to tell the Sheriff numerous times in front of the mirror to perfect the distressed, sobbing widow-to-be.

All the while, Damon's ghost followed her through the house. He screamed at her, "I knew it! I knew you were worse than Katherine! I FUCKING KNEW IT! I HATE YOU!!" He tried to kick Elena as she went down the stairs, but his leg went right through her body. The momentum from the kick sent Damon flying onto his backside.

Instead of landing on the floor at the top of the stairs he landed in a dim room filled with candles. Damon looked around the room from where he was sitting on the ground and saw two witches standing in front of him. One of them he knew, "Tessa, long time no see. Come to poke fun at the human?" Qetsiyah just shook her head and faced the other witch, "Are you sure?" Ayanna nodded, "Yes, I'm sure." Damon stood up and waved his arms in front of them, "Hello? I'm right here. Can someone tell me what's going on?!"

Ayanna stepped closer, "I am Ayanna Bennett. You knew my descendant, Bonnie Bonnett." Damon smirked, "I knew Bon Bon. Great gal." The look on both witches' faces had his smirk dropping, "She was one of the only true friends I had. Her death broke me. I miss her." Ayanna gave the former vampire a sad smile, "She misses you too. She's also pissed at you for staying with her murderer." Damon's head snapped to the witch so fast he almost gave himself whiplash, "What?!" Ayanna held eye contact, "Her car didn't just crash, it was sabotaged by your wife."

"Do not call her that! She is not my wife! She's a manipulative, two-faced bitch who ruined my life!" Damon was furious as well as hurt. "Bonnie was my best friend. She liked me for me. I didn't have to hide who I am, who I was with her. We were there for each other. Hell, I made her pancakes every morning while we were trapped in the prison world. She taught me I could be myself without being an ass. And I helped her feel confident in her magic. I loved her like a sister. And you're telling me Elena took her from me! God, I hate that bitch! I wish I never met her!"

"Then you may want to listen to our proposal," Tessa says. Damon took a few moments to calm himself down before focusing on the witches, "What proposal?" Both of the witches smiled in sync which kind of creeped Damon out, but he was listening. "We send you back to a pivotal point in your life and change the course of your history. Your life ties in with several others. By doing things differently, you could alter the ending, your ending. But there are rules." Tessa and Ayanna had watched the Salvatore brothers throughout their lives after being turned, as well as other supernaturals and came to the conclusion that changing events in Damon and Stefan's lives would change others.

The witches waited patiently for Damon to think over the proposal. Several thoughts went through his mind but the most prominent is his brother, Stefan. He could make sure his little brother does not die so cruelly. He looks up at the witches, "What are the rules?" Ayanna smiles, "There are two rules. The first, you can only tell two people that you trust about you being from the future. Second, and most important...You cannot fight fate. She has some control over certain events that still need to happen." Damon furrowed his eyebrows, "For example?"

"For example, if you try to burn the Wickery Bridge before the Gilberts' deaths then you will not be able to. Certain events must play out, they are the catalyst for other major events that cannot be stopped. The outcome can be altered; like Niklaus sacrificing Elena to break his curse. You could make sure to not stand in his way, and make sure the Doppelganger comes back to life. Things like that. You will know when things can be changed and when they cannot."

Damon was pacing the small, dim lit space, "So, let me get this straight? You want to send me back in time to alter the timeline which would also alter other people's timelines and completely change things? I can only tell two people I trust, and I can't interfere with Fate?" Tessa nods her head and shrugs, "Pretty much." Remembering something, Damon asks, "What about Silas? Is that one of the things that needs to change?" Tessa shakes her head, "I cannot answer that. It is in Fate's hands."

Damon stops pacing and faces both witches. He knew he was going to accept but he needed to know, "Will I be a vampire again?" Ayanna smiled, "Yes, you will be a vampire again. Now, remember the rules." Damon waves off her concern, the old cocky Damon surfacing. Damon claps his hands, "So? How do we do this?" Tessa directs his attention to the floor and the salt circle he is now standing in. Damon looks down, "That was not here before." Both witches chuckle as they prepare the spell.

"Lie down and brace yourself. This may hurt," Ayanna tells him. Damon does as she says. So many thoughts running through his head he does not hear the spell. As the witches chanting of the spell gets louder, Damon's body starts to convulse due to the pain. The last thing he hears before disappearing is the witches telling him, "Good luck."

AN: Short first chapter. I admit, I cried a little writing this chapter.