The Long Way Home

Chapter 2: Yellow Ledbetter

Beta: PrincessOfSilence

Disclaimer: I own nothing of The Vampire Diaries. I only own my characters and my story.


Four Months Ago

White.

That's all Bonnie remembered when the Other Side collapsed. A bright white light blinding everything in sight. She figured that dying would be just like this. After all, so many people talk of the white light at the end of dark tunnels when you die. She awaited to be greeted by faces of his past who had been long gone, but no one came. She braced himself for pain or perhaps a feeling of calmness, but there was nothing. She could still vaguely feel the warmth from Damon's hand in hers when the light suddenly started to fade. Would Damon stay with her on this journey? Or would they be forced to part ways? As much as she disliked Damon's company, at times, she prayed that whatever forces that kept them together would keep it that way. She did not want to be alone. She was scared to open her eyes, fearful of the sight that she would be met with, but she stifled herself and very slowly let her eyelids part.

Tall trees with thick trunks and leafy branches grew high above them, their roots mapping out the darkened soil beneath their feet. The sky was painted black with bursts of twinkling stars nestled way up above the trees. The air was cool and calm, a contrast to what it had been mere minutes ago. It all seemed like a lovely place, but Bonnie recognized this setting all too well: she and Damon had just died in the very same spots they were standing in when the Other Side imploded. Nothing had changed and it seemed like they had traveled back in time before everything happened. Damon was looking around now too, bewilderment etched on his chiseled features as he questioned why the hell they were here. Both sets of eyes met and trailed down to their joined hands. Immediately, the pulled apart, as if embarrassed to have anyone see them holding hands and they distanced themselves a step or two.

"Huh. That got awkward fast," the vampire remarked.

"What happened? Where are we?" Bonnie wondered, her almond eyes scanning the area around her. She was being drawn forward and she was soon following her feet through the trees and thick brush.

"Where are you going? Hey?" Damon's voice followed her until they were in the center of town. Mystic Falls was as quiet as ever, not a car on the road or a friendly face in sight. They stood, clueless, in the middle of the street, completely speechless. What on earth had happened to them and to Mystic Falls?

Damon reached up to his lips and used his fingers to probe at his teeth. He quickly counted. One. Two. "Well, I feel a fang. I'm still a vampire. Either I'm a dead vampire or Mystic Falls is no longer magic free."

Bonnie's gaze fell on something very out of the ordinary and she pointed in the direction to make sure that Damon saw it too. "Look."

There, in all its glory stood the Mystic Grill. It was perfectly intact; not a scratch or brick out of place. Damon was dumbfounded now, as if he wasn't beforehand and he beat his gums for a few moments before replying.

"I definitely blew that up about an hour ago."

"Why don't we see any people?" Bonnie questioned. "If we're still on the Other Side we should at least be able to see the living."

Damon didn't have an answer for her. He honestly had no clue as to what was going on. "Where the hell are we? And I don't mean geographically."

"I have no idea," Bonnie sighed hopelessly.


"Are you out of your mind?!"

Ric winced and held the phone away from his ear, but his hearing had already been damaged by Cassandra's angry shout. He had a feeling he'd get a reaction like this when he told her that he would be compelling away Elena's memories of her friends, but he hadn't anticipated a slight hearing loss. Elena had come to him the night before, completely distraught and she begged him to make her forget about Bonnie and Damon. The pain of living without them was too much for her to handle and Ric agreed to help her. Since Esther had turned him with the power of the white oak stake, he had the ability to compel other vampires. He'd never tried it before; Elena would be his first experiment, but he would be willing to try and help her. He could still hear Cassandra badgering him from the earpiece and he waited till she subsided to put the phone back to his ear. Alaric cleared his throat and double checked that the door to his classroom was locked. He had a couple of hours until his next class and he wanted to make his phone call while on break.

"I knew you'd react like this," he said.

"As if you thought I'd be alright with this." She hissed. "What made you agree to this? Were you drunk?"

"No, I was not drunk." He leaned back in his chair. "Look, the reason I really called was to ask for your help."

For a few moments, the line was silent and Ric was sure the call had been dropped, but he was soon greeted with another one of Cassandra's explosions.

"Help? Help?!" Ric pinched the bridge of his nose. "No! No, I don't care if I was the last person on Earth, Ric. I still wouldn't help you." Cassandra screeched. "I am still baffled that you of all people okayed this."

"What else can I do, Cassandra?" He implored. "Elena's grief is slowly killing her."

"So, making her forget her friends is going to make it all better?"


"She won't be forgetting them," he corrected her. "I would compel away the memories, so that Elena can live a normal life. Damon and Bonnie will still exist in her mind, but the memories of them won't."

"Ric, I really don't need this kind of aggravation right now." Cassandra rubbed her temple and sat beside Ava. The happy baby was playing with her blocks and had no interest in mommy's blow-out with Uncle Ric. In actuality, she was much too enthralled with her blocks to pay attention to anything else.

"Look, Elena's in really bad shape and she needs a friend right now," he pleaded.

"No, what Elena needs is a reality check." She corrected him. "What she is doing is completely crazy and I don't care how full-proof you say this plan is."

"Then, just come for moral support."

Cassandra bit her bottom lip, trapping it tightly between her teeth. "I can't come, Ric."

"Why not?"

"I just can't." She snapped at him hastily which caused Ava to look up at her mother. Cassandra sighed deeply, she hadn't wanted Ava to see her angry or upset, but what Ric was asking of her was something she could never imagine doing. Blue eyes, a gift from her father, stared up at her mother, peering so intensely that Cassandra could feel them going through her, a quality that Damon shared. So much of Ava was Damon; it amazed Cassandra how a four month old could be so similar to a 173 year old vampire; sometimes it even scared her how alike father and daughter were. Cassandra took it as a sign that Damon would continue to live on even after his death, but some days it was unnerving for her.

Ava blinked a few times before flashing a toothless smile at her mother and going back to her alphabet blocks. Cassandra's heart thumped loudly and proudly in her chest; such a sweet little girl she'd given birth to. So innocent and unaware of the turmoil around her, Ava was unknowing of the chaos that had rocked everything from its foundation; all that mattered in her world were her blocks, pureed sweet potatoes and naps in the afternoon.

"I'm sorry, Ric." Cassandra spoke into the phone once she had calmed down. "If I do this, then that means I'm condoning what Elena is doing and it's something I just can't do."

"Cassandra—" Ric begged.

"Goodbye, Ric." She hung up and laid her phone down on the plush ivory carpet of the living room.

For now, she just wanted to sort out her emotions in silence; for it would be much better than opening up old wounds with Elena over the drug incident. She was angry with Elena for coming up with such a stupid idea and she was even angrier at Alaric for indulging her. Losing Damon and Bonnie was hard on everyone, some harder than others, but everyone in Mystic Falls found their own way to deal with it. Elena, however, was only putting off the inevitable by using the herbs from Luke. And this compulsion theory was just the icing on the cake. She did understand that Elena wanted to go back to living a normal life again, but would Alaric compelling her to forget her friends really make it all better?

Then there was the issue of Cassandra not wanting to assist Ric and be there as moral support for Elena. Cassandra loved all of her friends and would do anything for them, but condoning Elena's decision to forget her friends would not make her situation any better. Guilt flooded her veins, a dark cloud hanging over her head and she found herself regretting not to help. However, she was locked on her principles and would stand by them.

"She won't be forgetting them." He corrected her. "I would compel away the memories, so that Elena can live a normal life. Damon and Bonnie will still exist in her mind, but the memories of them won't."

Her conversation with Ric drifted back into her mind. How would his plan even work? So, Bonnie and Damon would exist as ghosts in Elena's subconscious and nothing more? Cassandra shrugged off her hundred or so questions just in time to see her daughter crawl over to her and grasp the iPhone. She was pressing the icons on the screen, her eyes widening with each new screen that was brought up. While she was perplexed by the device, she was also amazed by it. Cassandra watched her for a bit, just taking in the simplicity of her innocence. What she wouldn't give to be four months old again. To be so small and not have a care in the world. She had fond memories of her mother rocking her to sleep with sweet lullabies and her father bouncing her on his knee in his study after a long day of work.

Her father, Joseph, was her hero since the day she was born. She was her father's pride and joy and he'd be sure to give her anything and everything she wanted on God's green earth. But he taught her the importance of being gracious and kind towards others; she loved him for that. While Cassandra's father and mother didn't always see eye to eye, they strived to make their daughter understand that they still loved one another and, most importantly, her. Cassandra learned from a very young age at what she wanted for a marriage, and when Damon came along, she knew she had found the person she wanted to spend her life with. So, naturally, it was hard on Joseph to let his little girl go, but he knew he had to.

Cassandra wanted Damon's memory to be kept alive so that Ava would feel as if he would be with them forever. She never ever wanted to rob her daughter at the chance of knowing who her father was. It just wouldn't be fair to any of them. How could Cassandra fathom a life where her husband only just existed? Hell, she had a daughter that had a right to know how great of a man her father was.

She twisted her body to lay on her belly near Ava who had given up the phone and was playing with her blocks. Cassandra took some and made a small tower with them which Ava quickly knocked down and laughed long and hard when the blocks tumbled to the floor. They continued this game a few more times and Ava was giddy each time she got to knock the blocks down. Cassandra really wished Damon was here to play with Ava. After all, he was a child at heart most times. She could just see it now, Damon making funny faces and begrudgingly dressing up for a tea party when Ava was old enough. She still had some wild hope that Damon would come home, but it seemed that they've hit every dead end in sight.


Four Months Ago

"How many more streets are we going to wander?" Damon audibly groaned. The pair was now walking down the streets outside of town. The residential area had always been cheery, but the lack of inhabitants made it creepier. Just like the center of town, not a person was insight and the streets were deserted minus some cars that were parked along the block or in driveways. Morning had come quickly and Bonnie was thankful for the sun which seemed to spread some kind of light on the situation. It was a hell of a lot better than walking at night.

"How many times are you going to ask me questions I don't have the answers to?" Bonnie countered, clearly annoyed with Damon's persistence. With a crinkled nose, Damon walked on in silence.

"There's something weird about these cars," the girl added and stopped at a white car on the street.

Damon noticed it too, being a man who liked his cars. He ran a hand over the hood of the car oddly. "Yeah, they're all 20 years old or more and yet they look brand new."

He then realized that he and Bonnie were standing in front of a very familiar house. A look washed over Bonnie and she ran up the front lawn and onto the porch while Damon stood speechless in the middle of the street. Now he was really tripping.

"And that is Elena's not-so-burnt-to-a-crisp house." He said and managed to drag himself to the porch, being mindful of the children's toys that littered the lawn. His foot hit a stuffed animal or two, but what caught his eye was a newspaper that was nestled in the blades of grass. He picked it up, unfolded it, and was hit with a possible answer as to what was happening to him and Bonnie. He nudged her shoulder and handed her the paper.

Bonnie looked at him confusedly. "Hmm?"

"Look."

"'Rare solar eclipse expected to be seen across twelve states?'" She read the first bold headline that was printed on the page.

Damon rolled his eyes. "The date."

"May 10th, 1994." She stopped and read it over again in her head. "Is that-? Are we-? But that's impossible."

Suddenly, the sky began to turn a darker blue and they both looked up. Above their heads, they could see the very same eclipse from the newspaper blotting out the sun's bright rays. Shadows cast over everything in sight and Bonnie took up the paper from Damon, her eyes going right to the article about the eclipse.

"I don't think we should be asking where we are, I think we should be asking when we are." Damon spoke.


Ava was now bored with her blocks and was crawling around for something new to play with. She bypassed her stuffed animals and sensory books and even her favorite princess figurines. Cassandra quickly scooped her up and decided to take her out back to the garden. Ava loved the brightly colored flowers and would softly coo whenever she saw flowers she really liked. Her tiny fingers would gently stroke a petal or leaf when she got close enough and Cassandra would let her pick some flowers to hold. The approached a birdbath settled in the middle of the garden and Ava squealed at the birds who were resting on the edges of it. Some hopped in and out, splashing water onto their feathers with their beaks.

Cassandra had never kept a garden before, but she was always fond of the fully bloomed flowers in Mrs. Salvatore's garden and would often find herself wandering there whenever she would visit the Salvatores. When she bought the house, she hadn't intended on using the backyard for anything, but every time she passed the kitchen window which looked over the yard, it bothered her that it was so plain and deserted. Once she planted flowers and vegetable plants, she be comforted by the sprouts that broke through the soil. She thought of that garden as a symbol of her own soul being reborn again. Like the earth beneath her feet, she had to start her life all over again without Damon, and after some time and patience, she began to grow and thrive once more. While she knew she had a long way to go, she was thankful for her healing garden.

A sudden rustling in the brush made her slowly turn and she was on full alert seeing Enzo standing in her garden. Being in the land of the living had treated him well and he wore that classic trademark smirk that she so badly wanted to smack off his face. Ava seemed to sense her mother's tenseness and her blue eyes remained trained on the newcomer.

"Isn't she a beauty?" Enzo finally spoke up. "Takes after her mommy."

"You have no right to be here." Cassandra held her daughter closer to her.

Enzo held up his hands in surrender and took a step forward. "Look, I just wanted to—"

"Get out of here!" She hissed, turning her body, so Ava was further away from the vampire.

"Cassandra, wait!" Vanessa stepped through the stalks of sunflowers and stood beside Enzo. Caroline had also come too and the two blondes looked pleadingly at her.

"What is going on here?" Cassandra asked the girls.

"He's just here to talk," Caroline said calmly.

"Well, tell him he can go talk to someone else." The hybrid growled.

"He found a way to maybe bring Damon and Bonnie back." Vanessa added and Cassandra seemed slightly intrigued, but after hitting so many walls over the past few months, she hardly believed in anything anymore. "You might want to listen to him."

"This is the first solid lead we've had in months." The other blonde said.

"How do you know he isn't lying to you?" Cassandra's gaze passed between the two vampires. "He hasn't been around for four months and he suddenly appears with a lead. I wouldn't trust him if my life depended on it."

"You know, I am right here." Enzo waved his hand in the air in a mocking manner. Cassandra bit the inside of cheek, her anger stifling because her daughter was still present. She cleared her throat, shifted her stance and kissed Ava's forehead.

"Take Ava inside please." Vanessa was slow to move, but she nudged Caroline towards the house before taking Ava from her mother. Vampire and hybrid were alone in the garden and Enzo felt his hand nervously twitch at his side.

"You want to talk?" She asked him and he nodded his head hesitantly. She was suddenly much too calm for his taste and she didn't have the baby in her arms, so that only made him uneasy as to how their talk would go. "Okay."

In a rush, Enzo's body was thrown through the air and he crashed into the birdbath. A mess of water and feathers surrounded the grappling pair and Cassandra held Enzo down over the broken pieces of the bath. His cuts healed, but her hand pressing against his throat made it harder for him to catch his breath. He knew that Cassandra had a temper, but this was unlike anything he'd ever seen.

"Let's get one thing straight right now." She seethed. "If you ever come onto my property again unannounced, I will cut your head off. Do you understand me?"

"Yes." The vampire breathed.

"Good." She lifted his upper body and slammed it down into the ground. "Now, talk."

"There's a witch coven in Oregon..." He coughed and wriggled in her hold, but she held him still. "They found a way to communicate with their ancestors before the Other Side disappeared. They call themselves The Gemini Coven."

"And where'd you find this information?"

"From a lovely garment attendant at a hotel who happens to be a witch." He grunted and she rolled her eyes, not wanting to know what he had to do to get this classified information.

"Why should I trust you?" Her fangs were getting dangerously close to his neck now.

"Because I want to bring my friends back, okay?" Enzo wheezed.

"Oh? The same friend who wants to kill you for going after me?" Cassandra tightened her harsh grip on his neck. "If you had pushed me any harder that night at Whitmore, my baby might not be alive."

"Look, I'm sorry—"

"Sorry won't cut it, Enzo." Her free hand gripped the collar of his jacket and she flung him against the side of the shed where she kept her gardening tools. "Get out."

The wounded vampire got to his feet and held his hands up when Cassandra made to jump at him again. "Wait, wait, wait! Hold on! Just stop beating me into the ground long enough for me to talk, alright?"

Cassandra's fists were clenched so hard she could feel tiny crescent shaped cuts forming on the palms of her hands. The thought of Enzo begging was absolutely pathetic, so to pity him, she decided to let him speak.

"I know you're angry and I know you're hurting, but this is a chance I want to take." He started. "I get it, you hate me and you should, but I think Ava deserves to know that you did everything you could to bring her father back."

"I have done everything," she countered. "I've followed every lead, held onto every shred of hope, and begged for this horrible nightmare to go away, but it hasn't. I live it every day and I hate it."

He could hear the rage disappearing from her tone and it gave way to sadness. Her voice shook and her eyes filled with hot tears that threatened to break free. She pressed a hand to her head and looked around the garden. Her emotions were yanking at her nerves and she could do nothing to calm them. She was immediately transported to her days after she first turned and she was unsure if she could continue to keep living with the onslaught of feelings that bombarded her at every moment.

"It's so hard." She whispered and ran her hands through her tousled curls. "That little girl in there will never know her father and it's just not fair."

Enzo actually felt bad for Cassandra. He'd always known her to be tough as nails, but to see her crumbling to pieces before him was heartbreaking. He always thought of her and Damon's relationship as a complete sham, but now he understood how strong their love was. Hell, they got married and had a child together, all while putting each other's needs before their own.

Cassandra never really hated Enzo; hate was a strong word to use. Were there times when she wanted to tear his head off or stake him and leave him out in the sun? Of course, but he was Damon's friend and she had to respect that. Damon and Enzo met in Augustine and she would never know the bond they shared for five years in those cells. Enzo was there for Damon at a time when Cassandra couldn't and for that, she was thankful to Enzo for keeping an eye on him for the time being. Perhaps Enzo really did want to help with bringing Damon back, maybe he really did miss his friend.

"Then, please go through with this lead." Enzo approached her now that her guard was down and she let him. She hastily wiped her tears with the back of her hand and he handed her a piece of paper with name of the coven on it. "If it doesn't check out, you can...kick my ass again."

A short laugh fell from her lips and she took up the paper, holding it tightly in her hand. "Thank you, Enzo. You are one of the few people who have been looking for a way to fix this. Damon's own brother gave up."

"Stefan." Enzo rolled his eyes. "Somehow that doesn't surprise me."

"Well, I shouldn't be pointing fingers at Stefan. I gave up for a bit too." She looked down at her feet in shame. On some days, she hated herself for not believing in hope and faith, but after too many letdowns, she decided it was best not to get too excited when a new one came along.

"Don't get too discouraged, darling. We've all lost hope at one point or another." He told her. "What do you say we pay Stefan a visit?"

Cassandra's eyebrows creased and she tilted her head. "Why would I ever want to visit Stefan?"

"Well, considering he is your brother-in-law and Ava's uncle, he has yet to show his face. I think that's pretty despicable don't you think?"

"He says he's moved on and suggested that I do the same," she said. "I tried to, but I can't. I don't know how I ever could."

The backdoor to the house opened up and Caroline peeked her head out. Vanessa was huddled behind her with Ava on her hip. "Everything okay out here?"

"Yeah, we're alright." Cassandra beckoned for them to come outside and they did, but they stayed on the back porch after seeing the destroyed birdbath.

"You guys have a nice talk?" Vanessa's voice had a hint of sarcasm.

Enzo reached up and massaged the back of his neck. He cast a glance to Cassandra who was trying to hide her smirk with her hand. "Bloody lovely talk."

"Hey, let's start cleaning up." Caroline motioned to the birdbath, so Vanessa handed Ava to Cassandra, but the hybrid stopped them from continuing.

"Wait, guys, I can clean that up later." She told them with a wave of her hand while balancing Ava in her grasp. "Listen, Vanessa, I need you to do me a huge favor."

The short haired blonde immediately nodded enthusiastically. "Of course. Whatever you need, I'll do it."

"Well, I was planning on driving up to pay Stefan a visit, but I don't feel like it's my place to go, so..." Cassandra's glances passed between Vanessa and Enzo, the later of the two was beaming from ear to ear. He bounced on the balls of his feet while Vanessa was slowly putting two and two together. Once it hit her, Cassandra swore she saw the light bulb go off in her head, but it quickly shattered when Vanessa realized who she'd have to go with.

"...I hate you."


Four Months Ago

"Where is any booze in this empty Retroville?" Damon asked aloud as he reclined on the porch swing at Elena's house.

"It feels so weird to be back here." Bonnie remarked and picked up one of Elena's toys that she would always play with whenever she came over for a playdate. "I practically grew up on this porch."

"Alright." Damon set his feet down and stopped the swing from swinging. He leaned forward, placing his hands on his knees. "Talk me through it."

Bonnie put the toy down and turned her body to face Damon. "Before the Other Side collapsed, my Grams said that she made a sacrifice so that I could find peace."

"The part where you actually have a theory." He corrected and he was met with the roll of her eyes.

"Well, this clearly isn't peace, otherwise I wouldn't be stuck here with you."

"Rude." The vampire pouted.

"She must have...I don't know, sent me somewhere." Bonnie shrugged. "And when I held your hand it took you with me."

"Well, did she happen to whisper a safe word in her last breaths?" He asked. "A clue, maybe? Witchy path out of here?"

"No, but if we got here by magic, magic should be able to get us out." She sat up straight and took up a glass cup she'd found on the lawn. She set it upside down on the wood and focused hard on it.

"And that frown that's not upside down is telling me what?" Damon asked.

"Phesmatos incendia," Bonnie murmured. The both of them looked at the glass intently, waiting for something to happen, but it never did. Damon let out a sigh and leaned back on the porch swing, letting the momentum take him back and forth. Bonnie's eyes were downcast in complete disappointment, they were really stuck in the place with no way of getting out.

"Still can't do magic." Damon hummed. "Perfect."


Stefan Salvatore stabbed another piece of chicken on his plate as he stared down his two uninvited dinner guests. He'd been cooking for himself and Ivy when she walked inside with two people he hadn't seen in four months. Ivy was chattering about how she'd met them while she out grocery shopping for some extra things for dinner and decided to invite them over. This was something he'd always feared, that someone from his pas would come and find him; his worst nightmare had just come true. He purposely moved far away from Mystic Falls just so he wouldn't be found, but his plan had collapsed. He should have known that this would have happened. How long could he have suspected for everyone at home to leave him be before they started looking for him? Now he was stuck with entertaining Vanessa and Enzo for dinner which was awkward enough.

"Good stuff, mate." Enzo grinned and lifted his wine glass to toast Stefan. The vampire nodded, pleased with the compliment, but not with his presence.

"So, how do you guys know Stefan?" Ivy wondered.

"I'm friends with his sister-in-law, Cassandra." Vanessa answered. "She's married to his brother."

Ivy peered over at Stefan expectantly. "You never told me you had a brother."

"Well, since we're on the subject of things that Stefan hasn't told you about. He's also an uncle." Enzo added with a grin to which Ivy pursed her lips and bit the inside of her cheek. "She's a cutie, Stefan's niece. I had the pleasure of meeting her this afternoon."

"Wow, I'm learning a lot tonight." The girl mumbled and pushed her vegetables around on her plate.

"So, Ivy, how do you know Stefan?" Vanessa asked and took a sip from her wine glass.

"Uh, Ivy's car was in the shop, where I work." Stefan replied.

The blonde choked a bit on her wine and she cleared her throat. "You work at an Auto-Repair shop?"

"It's relaxing." The vampire smacked his lips together.

"Why? What did you used to do?" Ivy was curious.

"Ah, man of all seasons, jack of all trades." Enzo clapped Stefan's shoulder hard, not being shy about using his vampire strength. He then cast his gaze on Ivy and leaned towards her. He wet his lips and smiled at her. "You have a lovely clavicle."

"Oh," she was caught off guard by his compliment and a bit creeped out by it. Her hand landed on her collarbone, rubbing the skin back and forth awkwardly. "Thank you, I think."

"Forgive me, I always notice a woman's neck. I'm a neck person." Enzo smirked. "Vanessa's a neck person."

"I love necks." The vampire winked from behind her wine glass and she noticed Stefan tensing out of the corner of her eye.

"So is Stefan. Right, Stefan?" Enzo was now looking at the vampire next to him.

"Not anymore." Stefan grumbled.

Enzo shook his head. "Ah, well that's silly. You can't just stop being a neck person."

Ivy leaned over and whispered to Vanessa. "Is your friend Enzo always like this?"

"If you mean tactless and boorish, then yes." Vanessa replied in a quiet tone.

"How charming." Ivy said sarcastically.

"I know, right? Can't take him anywhere."

"Uh, hello. I'm right here." Enzo waved a hand at the girls who stopped whispering about him. "I have super sensitive hearing. Practically supernatural. Do you believe in the supernatural, Ivy?"

For the second time tonight, Ivy was caught off guard by Enzo's advances. She happened to notice Stefan shift anxiously in his seat and Vanessa was looking at her for an answer. "I've...never really thought about it."

"I myself, am a believer." Enzo announced. "Had to get a witch to do a locator's spell to find my buddy here."

Everything suddenly fell silent at the table and four sets of eyes were searching the other's present in the room. Utensils scraped against plates and someone cleared their throat quietly. Then, as if told to, Enzo gave a short laugh which broke the silence and everyone laughed with him.

This was the most awkward dinner of Stefan's life, but he hardly knew that it would all be downhill from there.


"So, Stefan, tell us, this house, very charming. When'd you get it?" Enzo wondered.

Stefan had just been mid sip when he had to collect himself and answer. "About a month or so ago."

"No, more than that, remember?" Ivy chimed in with a grin. "We met two months ago and you already had it."

Vanessa green eyes grew wide and she then sent a pointed glare Stefan's way. "Two months. That's awfully weird because everyone at home thought you were living someplace else. Then again, not like we would know. It's not like you call or anything."

"I've been really busy with work." Stefan defended himself.

"You mean, your investigative work?" The vampire guessed, but then took it back. "Oh, wait. That's right. You're working in an Auto Repair shop instead."

"How about we just drop it? I'm happy doing what I'm doing now, and that's all that should really matter, right?" Stefan's attitude was really getting on Vanessa's final nerve. Her hand tightened around her fork and her teeth clenched.

Enzo placed a soft touch on her arm, partially startling her, but it went unnoticed by the other two people sitting at the table. "There, darling. No need to make a scene. Really it's all just some big misunderstanding."

Vanessa loosened the grip on her fork and placed it down on her napkin which happened to be where Enzo's hand was. She thought nothing of it, but would soon curse herself once dinner was over.

"Perhaps this will clear it all up." In seconds, Enzo grabbed Vanessa's fork and stabbed Stefan's hand with such force that the prongs broke through his skin and became embedded in the table.

"Oh my God!" Ivy shrieked shrilly.

"Enzo!" Vanessa scolded the vampire with a bang of her hands on the table.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Stefan winced.

"So many secrets." Enzo tutted. "What are you running from, Stefan?"

Ivy watched with a mixture of fear and fascination as the wound on Stefan's hand healed when Enzo removed the fork. She knew that shouldn't have happened, but couldn't wrap her head around the idea. She stammered a few unrecognizable phrases, the initial shock setting in and she found herself unable to move or speak.

Vanessa took Ivy by the shoulders, peering into her horror filled gaze. "Stay calm and come with me upstairs."

"Uhm...I..." Ivy's tongue twisted her words again and Vanessa glared at Enzo.

"Really?! So subtle." She deadpanned and tugged on Ivy's hand to get her to follow her upstairs.

Enzo tossed the bloodied fork aside and pushed out his chair to stand. Leaning both palms on the table, he craned his neck towards the vampire. "What kind of coward gives up on his own brother?"

"You don't know what you're talking about." Stefan hissed and rushed at Enzo, pinning him to the wall. Enzo growled loudly, shoved Stefan into the fridge, and stabbed him in the neck with another fork he'd grabbed from the table.

"Why don't you enlighten me?" The two vampires rushed at one another. Stefan yanked the fork from his neck and tried to slash Enzo with it, but they were scuffling much too quick. Enzo slammed Stefan to the wall, but the latter retaliated by banging his head against Enzo's. He stumbled backwards, crashing through the dinner table in the process. Stefan jumped on Enzo, throwing punch after punch until he was able to get Enzo stunned enough to snap his neck.


Two Months Ago

"What's a seven letter word for kill me now?" Bonnie groaned.

"That joke got old six weeks ago," Damon deadpanned.

Six weeks. They'd been reliving May 10th, 1994 for six whole weeks and it was beginning to get on their nerves. For six weeks a solar eclipse happened at the same time every day. For six weeks Damon made Bonnie pancakes for breakfast. For six weeks Bonnie filled in the same crossword puzzle on the back of the newspaper. Two solids months had gone by and neither of them had any idea as to why they were stuck in the same day over and over again. For Bonnie, there was a plus side of this repetitive hellhole. When she went to her house last night, she found everything as it was in 1994. Sure, she was a child then, but she could still feel the warmth and energy surging through her home. When she tiptoed upstairs to her bedroom, she was even more surprised to find her favorite teddy bear, Ms. Cuddles, resting against the pillows on her bed like she'd always been. She decided to take the bear back to the boarding house, feeling a little piece of childhood come with her. On a hunch, she went to her Grams' room and opened up the trunk at the foot of her bed. There, nestled in between sacks of fragrant herbs and mystical charms, was her Grams' grimoire and hopefully an answer to getting them home.

"And so did this crossword puzzle. Every day for two months I've done this stupid thing and I still can't figure out 27 across." She placed the pencil down harshly on the table, her fingers at her chin in contemplation. "Old tongue twister, Eddie turned Top 40?"

Damon was partly ignoring her; the effect of his bourbon making his mind swirl with a mix of different thoughts. He used his spatula to take two pancakes from the skillet and place them onto a plate. He then made a circle of whipped cream over the stack and set it down at Bonnie's table setting. He couldn't see it, but he could feel her animosity towards him spreading along every nerve like wildfire. She suddenly snapped, stabbing at her breakfast with the tip of her sharpened pencil.

"I hate pancakes!" She shouted and Damon remained passive about the situation.

"Whoa, don't take it out on the pancakes." He smirked. "Those pancakes, like myself, are waiting for you to be witchy to get us the hell out of here."

"You know I've been trying!" She growled at him.

"And failing." He replied gruffly "Further evidence, we're in hell. Not only am I stuck with you, I'm stuck with the useless version of you."

Bonnie's jaw went slack, appalled that Damon had the audacity to treat her like crap. She wished she had her powers back just so she could fry him with just a thought. She really had been trying ever since she found the grimoire belonging to her beloved Grams, but like Damon said, she's been trying and failing. She glared at the vampire and was ready to come back at him with a witty remark, but something made her stop and turn her head away from him.

"Did you hear that?" She asked him, her gaze searching for the source of the sound she'd heard.

Damon rolled his eyes, dismissing her sudden hope for pure imagination. "What would I have heard, Bonnie? We're the only two people here, we were the only two people here two months ago and the only two people here now."

"Well, I swear I heard something!" She countered.

"Maybe it's the sound of existential despair. I hear that's what hell sounds like." He grumbled.

Bonnie snapped again, unable to deal with Damon's negativity a moment longer. "You know what? You think we're trapped in your hell? I have to spend every day on repeat with the person I like least on this earth! Maybe we're trapped in mine."

She snatched up Ms. Cuddles and Grams' grimoire. If Damon was going to continue talking down to her, she'd leave him to wallow in his own despair and she wouldn't stick around for it. She stomped out of the house and Damon winced when she slammed the door behind her. He knew deep down that Bonnie was trying, but he was beyond frustrated with each failed attempt after the next. He missed his home, he missed his family and he desperately wanted to get back to them. He often wondered to himself why he and Bonnie were the only ones stuck in 1994. Had he been a terrible person and this was to be his purgatory for the rest of his eternal life? That theory was a front runner, but when he had to beg the question on why Bonnie was here too. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so hard on Bonnie because she would be the only one who could get them home, but he was becoming restless and dare he say homesick. His wife and daughter were living their lives without him and that killed him every single time he thought about it and he hadn't stopped thinking about it since he arrived in 1994 two months ago.


After Vanessa had compelled Ivy to chill out and forget nearly everything that happened at dinner, she slowly tiptoed downstairs to see Stefan trying to clean up the dining room. She'd heard the whole argument from upstairs and knew that it would not end well for Enzo. She half expected to see him still unconscious, but she guessed that he was outside by the sound of the car engine purring outside. Stefan looked up at her once she entered the room, a somber expression taking a hold of his features. He stood and tossed some of the table's splintered legs into a garbage bag.

"I'm sorry tonight happened the way it did." She spoke truthfully. "We just—"

"I know." He cut her off sharply and it almost made her flinch. Almost.

"Look, I apologized. Okay?" Her green orbs narrowed. "I just don't understand how you've been able to leave your whole life in Mystic Falls behind."

Stefan set the trash bag aside and took a few steps towards her. "What was I supposed to do?"

"I don't-"

"No." He stepped on her words again, his nostrils flaring with anger. "Since everyone is such an expert about what I should do with my life, how about you tell me because, clearly, I'm doing it all wrong."

Vanessa wanted to shrink in size and disappear from Stefan's irate gaze, but as much as she wanted to run, he asked her for advice, so she'd give it to him straight. Yeah, he'd probably get mad at her and never want to look at her ever again, but he needed to know her view on the last four months.

"I understand you're grieving, Stefan, but so is everyone else at home." She started gently, wanting to keep her own emotions at bay. "We're all dealing with it in our own way, but you chose to run away from it and leave your friends behind; the people who needed you the most. Believe it or not, Stefan, they need you. Elena needs you, Cassandra needs you and so does Ava."

Guilt gripped Stefan tightly like a cold hand. He knew deep down that he was running from everything at home, but hearing it come from someone else made it hurt even more. "I can't go back to Mystic Falls. Everything there reminds me of Damon. I can't even look at his wife, let alone my niece. I...she looks so much like him."

"I know she does." Vanessa said. "You owe it to her to be in her life."

"I can't." He shook his head and went back to cleaning up the room, anything to get her eyes off of him. "I came here to start over and I'm doing just that."

"Stefan..."

"Just go." He stuffed more garbage in the bag, his back still to her. He couldn't go home, he just couldn't.

Vanessa bit her bottom lip, swallowing the tears that pricked her eyes. She was so hopeful going on this trip, but her hope was quickly stepped on realizing that Stefan wanted nothing more than to forget everything in Mystic Falls. Her hands curled into fists and shook at her sides, her nails biting into her palms. She could feel herself bleeding, but she ignored it as she stomped toward the door. She was in the doorway when she froze, one hand on the frame. She took a deep breath and turned back towards Stefan.

"Damon needs you too, Stefan." That one sentence made him stop, but he wouldn't dare turn to face her. "He might not be here anymore, but he needs you to help with Ava. You know, if the situation were reversed, he'd do the same for you. It's bad enough that she has to grow up without a father, but it sucks that she will grow up without her uncle too."

Slowly, Stefan's eyes met hers and they were both on the verge of tears. Vanessa really wished that Stefan would understand how his decisions were hurting not only Cassandra, but Ava too. She didn't know how she would be able to explain this to Cassandra, but she knew that the young mother would not take it well and that killed her inside. Vanessa sped from the house, practically running for the car in an effort to keep herself from exploding. Enzo was in the driver's seat, tapping his fingers against the wheel impatiently. She slammed the door and wiped the few tears that fell on her cheeks. Enzo put the car in gear and started to back up, but when he turned his body to clear the driveway, he caught sight of Vanessa trying to hide her tears. He threw the car in park, the force of it jostling them back and forth.

"What happened?" He asked, but she didn't answer.

"Just drive." She mumbled.

Enzo growled under his breath. "What. Happened?"

"Nothing! Just drive!" More tears fell and Enzo could feel steam blowing out of his ears. His hand reached over, firmly gripping her chin and turned her to face him. Her eyes were red from crying and her cheeks stained with her tears. She tried to avert herself from his gaze, but he held her there, stripping down her high walls that had been up the entire time he'd been with her. He finally let her go after what felt like a lifetime and Vanessa kept her head down, her eyes glued to her hands that were clasped tightly in her lap. Enzo nearly tore his seatbelt from the clip and vanished from the car before Vanessa could say anything. She watched him go back into Stefan's house and she dialed up Cassandra to tell her that Stefan wouldn't be coming home.


Two Months Ago

Bonnie turned down the gas on the stove and set aside two bowls on the marble counter beside it. She moved the small pot of hot beans off the burner and spooned them evenly into each bowl. She placed a spoon in hers and in Damon's before bringing them to the dining room table. When she had come home, nighttime had cast its dark shadows inside the boarding house and Damon was seated at the table. Little did she know, Damon had been there the entire time. His mind was all muddled after Bonnie left and he felt it best to be alone with his thoughts. It wasn't until she put the bowl of beans in front of him was he aware that she cooked dinner. Bonnie sat across from him, trying to search for the right words to say, but she thought it best to keep her mouth shut. She wordlessly handed Damon a spoon for his beans and to her surprise, he smiled at her and took it. Perhaps it would be alright to say something, but what? Bonnie watched him eat a few spoonful's before finally speaking to him.

"I miss them too, you know," she whispered softly which made Damon look up in surprise that she had spoken to him after the way he acted earlier. He nodded in agreement and started eating his food. The two ate in silence with only the crackling of the fire and the spoon scraping against the bowl as a soundtrack when Damon gripped the newspaper on the table. After swallowing a mouthful of beans, he pursed his lips.

"Look who got 27 across." He said, clearly impressed.

"I wish." Bonnie sighed. "27 across is a rock I am pushing up an endless mountain."

"It's an old tongue twister Eddie turned top 40, Eddie Vedder, Pearl Jam. Yellow Ledbetter." He set the newspaper down and Bonnie's eyebrows creased. She took the newspaper and her eyes immediately went to 27 across. There, in plain sight she saw the boxes filled in with unrecognizable penmanship.

"Are you messing with me?" She asked him.

Damon chuckled as if it were a joke. "No, you messing with me?"

Bonnie shook her head. "I didn't finish this."

"Well, neither did I," The vampire shrugged. Bonnie's heart leapt with joy; she was right. There was no other explanation for the strange noises and the filled in crossword puzzle. Her eyes scanned the room and she could hardly fight the smile ebbing at the corners of her lips.

"There's someone else here."


I hope everyone enjoyed the next chapter of The Long Way Home. Please give it some love and check out the newest TO story called My Soul to Keep. I decided to keep them separate stories and there might be some chance of a crossover, but I am not entirely sure yet. Please review and feed my ego ;)

CarlyLynn: Thank you, CarlyLnn! I'm really glad you liked this chapter! I posted the new Originals story last night, so give it a read when you get a chance :)

grapejuice101: Thanks for reviewing! Hope you liked the next chapter!

SomebodyWhoCares: Yes, please give Cassandra a hug! She could certainly use it. Thanks for reviewing!

DreamHunterVo: I'm sorry for giving you feels, but I have the feels too! Thank you for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed this update.

Harshita94: Thanks for reviewing! Damon does miss Cassandra and Ava. I want to bring him home as soon as possible, so that he can be reunited with his wife and baby girl.

elisesellas: Hello, my dear! I felt like it has been forever since we last spoke! I hope everything is going well by you. I am stressed with all my assignments too, but writing will definitely help with the stress. Thank you so much for reviewing! Cassandra is not having an easy time at all raising Ava on her own, but she does have help. As the story moves forward, Damon will become more and more desperate to get back home and Cassandra is still holding onto hope that Damon and Bonnie are somewhere out there. When you get a chance, swing on over to the TO story that I posted last night. I hope to hear from you soon! Have a great week :)

VampirePrincess11: I know, right? Cassandra's definitely feeling the pressure of raising Ava by herself. Thanks for reviewing! The new TO story has been posted last night, so when you get a chance, head on over :)

NicoleR85: Thanks for reviewing, Nicole! Hope you enjoyed this update!

Tvd2014: Thank you for reviewing! Yeah, I like that the two stories are separated. I think it makes it easier for my readers.

Kim: Hi Kim! Thank you so much for reviewing! I kind of thought that it would be out of Cassandra's character to take the witch herbs, so I let it be Elena's crutch to use. I did miss Alaric too and I'm glad he's back in the show.

twin of a sister: Hello gorgeous! Thank you so much for reviewing as always! I can't wait to have Damon reunited with Cassandra and Ava. In the chapters to come, he will really start to get antsy and so will Bonnie. I still have so many ideas for this season and I can't wait to write it all!

lovinurbuks: Hi there! Thank you so much for reviewing! Ava is a cutie and I can't wait to have Damon see her again. Cassandra and Elena are likely to butt heads during this season because of their own ways of grieving. The new TO story is up and running, so please give it a read and review!

Shining Ruby: I'm glad to have Vanessa back too. I missed having her and Ava is absolutely in love with her. Thank you so much for reviewing :)

PJOCAMPERS: Yay! That makes me happy! Thank you for reviewing :)

Guest: I'm glad you love it so far! Thanks for reviewing!

Dassandra: Here's your update! Hope you enjoyed reading it and thanks so much for reviewing :)

Guest: Here is your next update :) I hope you liked it! The new TO story is up and running, so please give it a read.