The Second Life Of Stella Salvatore

A Little Bit Of Hope

Damon's POV:

"What the hell are we doing here? Why couldn't we just do this in the living room at the boarding house?" I grumbled as I swirled the ice in my drink around the glass to hear the chick noises it made.

Jeremy had insisted that the Scooby Doo gang meet up at The Grill for a highly important meeting when there was a perfectly good living room back home. I was still kind of shaken up from talking to my dead wife. "We're doing this here because your ass needed to get out of the house." I just rolled my eyes and took a well needed sip of my bourbon. "Look, Elena-" I flinched. "-told me that the ghosts are doing everything they can to bring her back. She wants us to do the same."

"There's always the option of tying you down on a boulder and sacrificing you," I grinned into my drink as I caught the dirty look Little Gilbert was shooting me. "I'm just saying that if Klaus's way is the only way I'd be more than happy to-"

"Damon, please," Stefan snapped from beside me. "Stop being a dick."

"Asshole," I heard Jeremy mutter under his breath and it took everything I had to not reach across the booth and strangle him.

Little Miss Witchy was looking fed up too as she tapped her fingernails on the table impatiently. Her brown eyes were surveying each and everyone one of us like she was trying to decide which of us to curse. My guess would be me. "Guys, if you're trying to show who the bigger man is, just go ahead and whip them out and see. Otherwise, we should focus on bringing Elena back," Lexi broke into the heated stares between me, Jeremy, and Stefan.

Just for the record, I was the bigger man here. No doubt about it. We all know Stefan doesn't have any and Little Gilbert is probably just average. Me on the other hand? Well...Let's just say my ego isn't the only big thing around here. I smirked to myself at my thoughts.

"If you don't mind me saying, I believe we all know I'm the bigger man here. Don't believe me? I'd be more than happy to prove it," Klaus's hands fell from the table where they were resting as the two ladies that were with us rolled their eyes.

I scoffed and started to snicker quietly. "Fact of the day: If your name starts with K, your ego is bigger than this planet. Then again...there isn't anything bigger than my highly intellectual brain." I grinned cockily. "Come to think of it, there's not anything bigger than my abs either. Or the friend in my pants..."

"Oh shut up, Kamon," Lexi death glared me then Klaus. But Klaus didn't look like he was finished.

"Actually, Damon, I believe your 'friend' is a pencil compared to my Incredible Hulk."

"For the love of god!" Bonnie exclaimed in annoyance as Klaus flashed her one of his irritating grins. Jeremy had slammed his head down on the table and Stefan had facepalmed. "Remind me again why he of all people has to be here??"

Stefan threw back what was left of his scotch as Jeremy sat up with a fresh bruise forming on his forehead. "Because he might know something useful. Now can we please get back to finding a way to bring Elena back?" Stefan sighed.

"Right," Jeremy started. "We-"

Suddenly the door to The Grill burst open and in ran Wolf Girl looking like she just saw a ghost or something. She made a beeline straight for our table and had to take a breather before she could speak. "Tyler's been shot. And I can't get the bullets out because they burn the hell out of me."

Well there went the meeting. Stefan suddenly stood up a few seconds before everyone else did and followed hurriedly behind Hayley. We got outside and to her car in time to hear a pained groan coming from Tyler who was in the passenger seat clutching his shoulder. "Bring him to the boarding house. I'll be able to take the bullets out there," Stefan instructed like he was a doctor from Grey's Anatomy or something.