Author's Note: So, TVD is officially over and what a suck ass ending. Sorry but in my humble opinion is was crap. However, it does give us a clean slate to continue things and try to do it better. I actually couldn't sleep, I literally had to get up to work on this idea that kept nagging me. I have a general outline but it will probably change as I go along. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the read and will provide me some feedback. Thanks

Redemption

The last thing he remembered was clutching his best friend's hand as she sat at his bedside. Her voice drowned out the beeping monitors he had been attached to, her face blocked those of the different nurses that often came in to check on him. She was all he had left in the world and he was all she had left, because neither of them had ever had children, and they both had lost their spouses over a decade prior. He hadn't wanted to leave her alone because he knew doing so would be breaking the promise he had made her so many years before. In fact, he had feared leaving her all alone even more than he feared the death that was coming to claim him, or what may come after it. He hadn't been a bit surprised when she had leaned over, placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, and whispered that he could go and that she would be fine. Damon Salvatore's 94-year-old body was tired and so when his best friend, Bonnie Bennett, told him to go he didn't fight it. He closed his eyes and took his last breath.

When he opened his eyes he had been shocked and pleasantly surprised to be standing at the door of his homestead. He didn't know why he had knocked because that was something he had never done before. He devised that it had been due to his fear of what or who dwelled on the other side of the door, or more importantly who didn't. When the door finally opened he was struck with a joy the likes of which he had never experienced before. In that instance, the one question that had plagued him most in the last year of his vampire life and for the remainder of his human had finally been answered. There was such a thing as redemption and it seemed that despite all the evil and depraved things they had done once upon a time, Damon Salvatore and his little brother Stefan had been given it.

"You know, I didn't expect you so soon," Stefan spoke into his older brother's ear as they stood locked in a tight embrace.

"I was nearly 95, so I think I'm a little overdue," Damon replied with a smile and he patted his brother's back and they finally pulled apart. Damon stood looking over the threshold at the place he had always called home and it looked the same as it always had. He had continued to live there for a short time after Stefan's death until Elena headed off to medical school. Then, the boarding house had been donated to Alaric and Caroline and turned into a school. After Elena had graduated and they moved back to Mystic Falls, they had decided to live out the remainder of their days together in a much smaller, modest home. "This place hasn't changed," Damon stated as Stefan stepped back allowing him to cross the threshold. He hurried to the living room with a huge smile plastered on his face which faltered at only finding that the only lively thing in it had been the blazing fire in the fireplace. Stefan followed his brother and stood just in the doorway watching him.

"I'm sorry Damon, but Elena's not here," He answered the question that he could see was racing through his brother's mind. Damon simply nodded his head.

"It's ok little, brother, I'm ok," He assured and then turned to face the younger Salvatore with a genuine smile on his face. "I got to spend 40 amazing years with her before she died."

"That's good, I'm glad," Stefan said returning the smile.

"Yeah, me too," said a feminine voice from around the corner a second before Lexi Branson bounced into the room. "Hello, Damon," She greeted as Damon stared dumbstruck. Lexi giggled a bit at his reaction to seeing her. "It's ok Damon I forgive you for killing me. Yeah, for a while there, when I was literally burning in hell for a couple of eternities I was a little bitter, but then you helped destroy hell and now we're all here. So, all's forgiven but don't do it again, Ok?" She smiled and then turned to her best friend and gave him a playful swat on the shoulder. "Guess I'll be going to the Grille alone now, so you two can catch up. I'll bring you guys something back," She tossed over her shoulder as she headed out.

"Lexi's here," Damon said stating the obvious.

"Yep, she was actually waiting for me outside of the school when I died and was … I don't know what to call it really, reborn?" Stefan replied.

"Ok, and the Grille is open here?" Damon questioned further trying to make sense of this new world he found himself in.

"Yeah, we're still in Mystic Falls and it's a lively town," Stefan answered. "In fact, this is a very lively 'world'. Lexi and I spent the first century or so just traveling the globe," His words only made Damon's brow bunch even more with confusion. "I don't know exactly where this is, or why we were brought here, but I know one thing for sure, it's not the afterlife."

"But we died," Damon said again stating the obvious.

"I don't think we did," Stefan responded. "I know this is going to sound crazy," Damon arched a brow to this and Stefan smirked and continued. "Ok, crazier, but I think at the moment of our 'deaths' in the other world, our world, we were teleported someplace else a different world. Also, there's something else you should know," He said and Damon's eyes grew wide as the human guise melted off of Stefan's face and was replaced with his vampiric mask. Damon then tested this and easily pulled forth his vampire side.

"So, when we died the reset button was pushed and now we get to relive the good ole evil days all over again," Damon said sarcastically as he made his way to the bar to pour himself a drink. "And I thought we destroyed hell."

"It's not hell Damon," Stefan spoke as he stepped into the room and turned to face his brother.

"That sounds pretty hellish to me, and it also explains why Elena isn't here since there's no way she'd ever be sent to hell. No, dear brother only bad people like us end up in a hell world," Damon proclaimed and then lifted his shot glass of bourbon in the air in a toast and then drank it all in one gulp. "At least the bourbon here is delicious," He mumbled as he poured another drink. As he was lifting it to his lips a knock came to the door. "Well, it seems the people in our hell world are polite. I'll get it," Damon then sat the glass of liquid down exited the living room, and made his way to the door. "Whatever you're selling we don't want-" His words died on his lips the second he swung the door open and locked eyes to the person on the other side. "Bonnie?" Damon half spoke, half gasped as his enlarged eyes drank her in.

"The one and only," She replied with a crooked smile. Her words evoked a long ago nostalgic memory in both of them, as a big happy, goofy smile spread across Damon's face and he opened his arms to her. She easily leaped into his waiting arms. They hugged each other tightly while laughing as Damon twirled them around. His joy was short-lived when he remembered something.

"No," He spoke out as he settled a baffled Bonnie back onto the ground and held her back at shoulder's length. "You're not supposed to be here," He said as a scowl covered his face and anger began to fill his soul.

"Damon, I died," Bonnie stated as if it explained everything. "I lasted another 5 years after you died, but believe me I was ready when my time came. Where is everybody, are they inside?" She asked as she moved past him and rushed inside. "Elena, Enzo?" She called out just as she got to the entrance way of the living room.

"Hello, Bonnie," Stefan greeted her with a kind yet nervous smile. Even after all of the time that had passed for him in this world, he was still filled with regret over how he had wronged Bonnie and Enzo. However, the endearing smile on Bonnie's face and the tears in her eyes spoke of her forgiveness.

"Hi, Stefan," She replied and she hurried to him and enveloped him in a hug. It took him a second to allow himself to melt into it with a relieved sigh as he closed his eyes and breathed in her sweet smell. "It's ok, I forgave you a long time ago," She whispered to him making him smile. "Besides," She continued as she released him. "If I can forgive Damon, I can forgive anyone."

"Why are you here?" Damon asked as he stood just within the doorway, and the way his eyes locked onto the floor it was obvious the question had been for himself and not for anyone else to answer. "You shouldn't be here, you can't be here," He went on.

"Why not and where are Elena and Enzo?" Bonnie asked as she turned an excited smile upon Stefan who gave her a sad face in return.

"They're not here, Bonnie," He said and her face crumbled as confusion washed over it. "I'm so sorry."

"No, that's not right. They should be here," Bonnie exclaimed as a single tear fell from her eyes. "They're supposed to be here."

"No, they're not," Damon said as he took a step closer to her and then paused and frowned up a bit. "Actually, Enzo should be here. This is hell, so why is Bonnie here and Enzo isn't?" He asked through a frown and this time an answer came.

"This isn't hell … yet," A female's voice filled the room and the three beings within the room simultaneously turned to stare at the young beautiful black woman now standing in the doorway. "And you're all here because I brought you here."

"Why?" Stefan was the first to speak. "And who are you?"

"My name is Drusilla Bennett, and I brought you here to undo the mess that you've created," She answered. Three shocked faces stood staring at her for a moment before one snapped out of it and made his way back to the bar.

"So, you're a Bennett and also a witch I presume," Damon said directly to the young woman who nodded her head in reply. "Great, even in my afterlife I'm stuck with Bennett witches. See, told you little brother, this is hell," Upon seeing the glare Bonnie was throwing his way he revised his statement. "My best friend excluded," He gave Bonnie a wink and then tossed back the shot of whiskey he had poured.

"You said you wanted us to undo a mess we've created?" Stefan continued his inquisition. "What did we do exactly?"

"Well, let's see, you've 'literally' opened hell on Earth," Drusilla announced and three sets of shocked eyes locked on to her.