Well, here is the next chapter, let's see what is going on with Stefan and why Elena is unconscious... Hope you like it! Tell me what you think.
Chapter I : Normal Life...
"I know we didn't keep in touch after we left, but we just needed some time off. We needed a break from the supernatural drama around Mystic Falls." Stefan began once the unconscious brunette in his arms was carefully laid down on Caroline's bed to rest. The brown haired young man had said she would be fine, that he'd given her some blood before getting here, hoping it would help heal her faster.
"Elena was so happy to be free from all the problems, and so was I, to be honest. She had wanted to call, to sent some kind of sign that we were alright. We missed you all. But it was never the right time, there was always something getting in the way." Damon could barely contain himself from saying something hurtful to Stefan's little tale, but he did. Maybe Bonnie standing to his right was what reeled him in, maybe not. He was, nonetheless, proud of himself for this modicum of control he'd just displayed. "The first few days we spent on the road. We thought it best until we found somewhere to stay." The younger man continued. "We eventually settled on the outskirts of New York. There was this little town, quiet and nice – safe – and so we decided to buy a house there. The fact that New York was a mere hour away helped in our choice as well." he paused, drew in a deep breath and took a sip of his tea, looking anywhere else, but at Damon, who, although noticed it, said nothing of it. He was used to being ignored by his brother, it was already a routine, despite the one year gap. It hurt just as much as when they were both human though usually then it was their father's job.
It was for the best anyways, saying nothing. The memory of them leaving still burnt in his chest, the memory of Elena's voice saying she'd heard his scream yet dismissed it seconds later still left a bitter taste in his mouth. To believe I ever loved her! It almost made him laugh and curse himself at the same time, thinking he actually thought he stood a fighting chance. Damon warranted a glance at Bonnie, his little witch was calmly and keenly listening to Stefan's story. For all intents and purposes, she looked every bit the same as she used to one year ago, but Damon knew better now. He'd spent the last few weeks with her, adjusting to his mortality, to being human, and after the previous night, they were closer than ever. He could now read the anger in her as clearly as he could a book. From the clench of her lopsided mouth, rage boiling hot in her fiery eyes, in the shivers of her hands, her left touching his, but not quite holding. He wanted her to hold his hand, he wanted her to want him to hold hers, they both needed it. But she looked so tense and yet too … calm.
Bonnie didn't blame Stefan for leaving, she understood why he'd done it. She wouldn't even blame Elena had it not been for the last conversation between the two. Silently shaking her head, the witch focused back on the man speaking as he recounted his story, all the while yearning to grip Damon hand in hers. She knew he couldn't be that much better than her now, she remembered enough of the aftermath of Stefan and Elena leaving, of that day. She could vividly see the two months that the annoying blue-eyed, now ex-vampire, either spent in his bedroom, not moving from his bed, or in a wheelchair as his spine worked to mend itself. Despite the clear dislike the two held for each other back then, not even Bonnie could blame him for the resentment he had felt towards Stefan and his girlfriend. More so, not even a year later could she understand how in the name of the Goddess had Stefan not heard Damon's scream?! She's had moments, however few, when she had wanted to ask the man about that morning, but the last time she's had the thought, he had been so happy, simply cooking her dinner. It had been one of their "humanity lessons" gone late and since they hadn't eaten anything all day, Damon had offered to cook her supper. The lasagna he had made that night still had her mouth watering. It had been the best meal she's ever had. It had been the best day I've had in ages.
"We made a life for ourselves there. With the lack of attempts to both mine and Elena's life there was no reason to fall behind studies so she went on a few courses online to get a degree faster and I got a job at the local school as a librarian because we needed the money, compulsion only gets you so far before people get suspicious and also, Elena doesn't like it when I compel for things. I had planned to head over to New York and open a small business, but I liked it so much, the normality, the routine that came with the librarian position that I just stayed. It was great for a while, we were happy. More than we have been in a long, long time. We even got engaged about five-six months ago." A gasp worked its way out of Liz's mouth, the sheriff's eyes growing wetter, Bonnie couldn't remember when she even entered the room. Her mind then realized, it was around the time Caroline …
"The wedding was this January. I had wanted to call you, all of you. I need you in particular Damon, but in the end Elena had been right. Why bother you now, after all this time. So we got married, only a few other people there, my colleague at the library, Elena's friends from her gym, the girls are a really nice couple too! And that was that." Stefan continued, unaware of the emotional turmoil the other three were going through. January was the month Caroline woke up without her memory of the rape. The month Katherine had died and Klaus had left.
"And then that Elena got sick. We didn't think anything of it in the beginning, it seemed to be much like a cold, but when she didn't get any better, we got worried. So we went to a doctor who said he had no idea how something like this could be possible. I did some digging and found out that it was a form of magic. A curse placed on Elena. The witch that did it must be very powerful to be able to cast this particular one. I then talked to Meryl, you remember her Damon? The young witch we met in Brazil thirty years ago. She's not a kid anymore. She helped me anyway, despite me almost killing her then. She told me that there is a man looking to get rid of the doppelganger. She told me of a potion I could make myself that should make Elena better, but that failed too. So when she started coughing up blood, I asked to turn her. We fought about it for a few days, but eventually she relented and so she became a vampire. But she was still sick and I couldn't save her." He was crying now, his voice chocked up, trembling, his face wet with tears. Liz was too, but not as badly. She has had her share of heartache this last year and it was enough for several lifetimes. "She's been a vampire for two weeks now." He managed to get out, but the tears wouldn't stop. He was desperate, that was clear. "I took off yesterday night." A small smile was shared between the witch and ex-vampire, but it was short lived. "She just collapsed and I couldn't wake her up again. That's when I gave her some blood, I had stashed up in our fridge. She wouldn't… wouldn't wake up. So I took her in my arms and rushed to the car. I drove all night to get here. Please, please I… I need your help." He pleaded and his eyes were puffy from crying and so, so green. Damon hadn't seen his brother crying so much since the night their mother died.
"I'd thought I'd lost all hope when I didn't find you at the Boarding House after I found out Bonnie's house was locked and no one was home. Luckily Matt told me you would be here. Help me, Bonnie, Damon. I don't know what I should do anymore." And so he stopped as Liz wound her arms around him, holding tightly as he cried silently in her shoulder, her eyes filled with sadness and understanding. Bonnie had grown still in the time it took him to finish, that she was more like a statue next to Damon than another human being, her hand clutching his painfully, but he didn't care. He, however, couldn't sit still. His left leg was moving up and down frantically, his left hand was fingering his phone mindlessly and his eyes darted around the room fixing eventually on a spider-web in a corner of it.
There was silence then. So much silence that they felt suffocated. And just as the silence was becoming unbearable, there was the ringing of a phone, there was a yelp from Bonnie and a quick snap of Damon's wrist as he answered. There was Liz moving back in her seat and Stefan watching curious as Damon spoke.
"Yes Care" he drawled, his voice mocking, but there was nothing he could do to stop that, his head hurt and he was in no mood for Caroline's bubbly attitude, despite it being what usually drew him out of his depression and anger.
"Don't be mean! You're the one who told me to call when I get in New Orleans and if I find anything interesting. Well I did both." Stefan heard the blonde say, and his worry vanished momentarily at her obvious familiarity to his brother. When he had left they had been at each others necks. Then again … Bonnie is holding Damon's hand.
"Should I be getting Judgy here worried? Did you manage to piss of Klaus yet? Or did New Orleans throw you out for too much happiness and joy?" he continued, his voice now warm as he talked to her. He shouldn't have been so harsh, she had saved his life that day and nearly everyday afterward until she couldn't anymore. They were friends now.
"Hardy har, Salvatore! Bonnie doesn't need to worry. Nik is more than happy with me, and New Orleans happens to love me! No, it's about Esther. You know how apparently they found her and she's been trying to resurrect Mikael? Well, you ever wondered how that happened? I'll tell you anyway. Kol 's been running all around the US looking for her for a few months now. When that failed, he widened his search parameters an –"
"You know what parameters are?!" Damon joked, making both Liz and Bonnie snicker a little, but then they turned back to look at Stefan and the fun ended. Damon cleared his throat. "Sorry, continue"
"As I was saying, he started looking elsewhere and apparently Esther is in Amsterdam looking for this dude… uhm, I forgot his name, that is supposed to be looking for a way to destroy all vampires in one go, Originals included. And he was, in turn, looking for some creature strong enough to protect him from said vampires. That's where Esther comes in. Anyway, we're staying in New Orleans until the end of the week so if you decide to join us, you might want to get here soon." She ended her tirade with a sigh, hopeful, and Damon could already see the puppy stare she was trying to give him through the phone. He was about to say no, Stefan did need his help now more, when he heard Klaus adding something that made his blood run cold and his anger to spike.
"Love, did you also mention the doppelganger problem here?"
"What did you just say?" Damon growled into the phone, as Stefan gripped his chair tight, his fingers digging into the material.
"Yes, mate. It is said that this man is trying to kill the doppelganger to draw upon her power. Now I'm not sure if Katherine was part of this or not, but you might want to put aide your ego and give our darling ripper a call. He might need some help. He's welcome to join us and his little girlfriend can come too. We'll be waiting Damon."
"Bye Damon!" Caroline chirped as Klaus' footsteps began retreating. He also heard her screaming after the hybrid for being and ass to her friend, just before she ended the call. Damon then lifted his head, his bright blue eyes going from the little witch next to him to his brother across from him.
"Well, it seems we're going to New Orleans and then Amsterdam. Why does Esther have to get involved in all of this shit?" he spoke, his tone dry and the sarcasm thick. Bonnie nodded next to him, before standing and with a kiss on his cheek she took off, no doubt to pack her bags and get her cookbook. Liz rose shakily, but smiled at him, and with a hug, she offered to keep Elena here while they went away. Stefan agreed and so the two reunited brothers were left wondering. This would be interesting, thought Liz as she closed the door behind Bonnie, staring back at the two men in her living room. With a sigh she realized that she was once again stuck taking care of a girl she loved that had been reduced to a shell of what she had once been. Why did she always end up in these situations? She was holding Elena's hand when she heard the front door opening and closing again. Bonnie returned fast.