Allure of Darkness: TVD [2]✓

Chapter Twenty-Four

When Gemma and Stefan were the only ones left in the car after dropping off Elena, Caroline, and Enzo off at Whitmore, they made their pitstop to the Salvatore crypt. Stefan had a bottle of bourbon in one hand and held Gemma's with his others. Stefan was ready to say goodbye to Damon and Gemma felt the need to do the same. They entered the crypt and Stefan takes a swig;

"Ah." he laughs, "yep... this is happening. I'm gonna talk out loud to a... a crypt filled with my dead family and my pregnant fiancé.."

"Could be worse." Gemma commented running a finger along his hand in comfort.

"Everyone but you, Damon. Because wherever you are, it's not here." he takes a seat on a bench pulling Gemma into him roughly, "sorry." 

"Shh. It's okay." she leaned her head on his shoulder and looked up at him to continue.

"I gotta say... I'm not doing so great without you. Gemma and I are trying to start over, but... we can't get anywhere. Because we're both lost, brother. We're lost." he gets angry, lets go of Gemma's hand and throws the bottle of bourbon. Gemma expected to here it break, but it never did.. Gemma looks up and sees Damon.

"So what? Gonna a couple months, and you think it's okay to waste a perfectly good bottle of bourbon?" he takes a swig, "ah." Gemma stood, "Jesus, Gem. You really gotten fat. How are my future niece or nephew?"

"Damon?" Stefan and Gemma said at the same time.

"Yep. In the flesh." he moved towards to Gemma and puts a hand on her stomach, she pokes his cheek and he looks at her.

"How are we seeing you right now? Gem, you are seeing him right? I'm not going crazy?"

"Because I'm not dead, Stefan. I mean, this stuff's good, but it's not "I see dead people" good. Heh." he goes towards Stefan, and Gemma feels tears running down her face and looks over at Stefan who eyes were wide and brimmed with tears, "heh. It's a hell of a long story, brother, but... I'm back. I'm back." Stefan reached out and touched Damon's shoulder, "yeah." Stefan pulled Damon into a tight hug, "I'm back, Stefan.." Stefan didn't let go and Gemma stood there crying silently, letting the brother enjoy the reunion, "I missed you too, buddy."

"I can't believe it." they pulled apart, "I thought you were gone." Damon smiled and pulled Gemma over to the brothers.

"Well, you didn't think I was gone, gone! I promised you an eternity of misery. Heh." Gemma pulled out her phone and dialed Caroline's number and told her that Damon was back and she walked back into the crypt.

"What about Bonnie?" Gemma questioned.

"She sacrificed herself so I could come back. But, I don't want anyone to know. No sense making this harder than it already is.."

"What are we going to tell people?"

"That she wasn't there.. I think that's smart." Gemma said, Stefan pulled her into his chest and hugged her close, "where were you exactly?" Gemma questioned.

"Mystic Falls, in the year 1994."

"Gross."

"Mystic Falls? 1994?" Stefan questioned his brother.

"I know. If a bunch of witches were going to get together and create some space-time purgatory, you'd think they'd pick a better year than the one Kurt Cobain killed himself in. The whole thing was just very depressing." he takes a drink from the bottle of bourbon.

"So, how did you get back?" Stefan asked his brother. 

"Long story, big flash of light, two decades worth of jet lag. I will explain all of my adventures in that flannel hellscape, but first, there's someone I got to go see." he heads to the door of the crypt and gripped Stefan's shoulders.