It just realised I haven't been doing the disclaimer so I probably should just say I don't own the vampires diaries, Sylvia Plath's poems or Bruce Springsteen's songs, except obviously for my original characters. Thank you so much for all the reviews! I hope you like this one, so all feed back is welcome (quite a long one this time) xxxx
"This is your fault." Stefan said for the third time, Bonnie twisted her head backwards to look at Damon upside down. He did not reply, Bonnie had never seen him look so silent and dangerous or for that matter smoking, he stuck another cigarette between his lips and ignored his brother. Bonnie, Elena and Meredith had long since separated themselves from the mainly one sided fight and sprawled across the huge emperor water bed 'How I met your mother' mumbling in the back ground. But Bonnie wasn't really watching her feet up on the pillows, absentmindedly stroking her hands across her abdomen.
"You can act like you don't give a damn about everything else Damon. But when it comes to Adalie Rueben you feel guilty, because you broke your word, because she mentioned Caitlin and you just let her walk all over you." Damon snarled "JUST SHUT UP." "God you two." Elena finally broke in exasperated sitting up. "Just put a sock in it there is absolutely no use fighting we have to sort out whose going to the dark dimension. I think it should be Stefan and I." "WHAT!?"
"No way Princess." Damon said "I promised you that I would come back with you to free the slaves I gave you my fucking word." "What! No Elena, love you're not going back there it's far too dangerous." "If you think your not taking me your even crazier than I thought after everything all the impossible things we've managed together and you just want to abandon me." "Ok, fine." Elena said throwing her arms up in the air. "You're right but only two of us are coming out their alive and I don't want any of us to be in a position to have to chose, look Merry" She turned her appealing jewel eyes on her friend "Please stay here where it's safe, your responsibilities on the earth." She looked around the room "Adalie whatever you call her is right I can't stay here and be looked after like a prisoner Stefan. And I need you and Damon." She smiled the smile that had broken thousands of hearts. And the Salvatore brothers melted.
Bonnie looked away, she could not bear the Elena the heroine act. Or maybe she was just jealous her head ached she didn't want any of them to go. But Elena was right apart from keeping her under lock and key with a twenty four hour guard what could they do keep her from Radley? "Bonnie." Meredith said quietly. She looked over everyone in the room was staring at her she met Elena's disgruntled expression, the bonnie they knew the one that never stopped gibbering and jabbering was becoming more and more of a stranger them. "I want to come to." She said stiffly.
"Absolutely not!" Damon snarled "Adalie doesn't have visions as often red bird and if she does." He muttered darkly "she only tells you after your homicidal ex girl friend attempted to stake you…But the fact is she's always right you're staying here." "And Meredith should stay with you." Stefan and Elena chorused as the argument flared up again. By the time it was midnight everyone had given up. Damon had stormed out some where; Elena and Stefan were curled up together in the other bed. And Bonnie and Meredith were top and tailing, Bonnie wiped away tears from her cheeks she had been crying as silently as possibly for what felt like hours and it had none of the release a good wail did. Her eyes wept like they were bleeding tears. She closed her eyes and sank her head into the soft pillows, she felt horribly sick and afraid even with a room stuffed full of people, she knew the visions and night mares would not relinquish her grip on her. But she was unable to evade sleep forever became partially aware of the sensation of sinking deeper and deeper into the soft white pillows. When Meredith screamed screamed. "Sorry Buffy." Adalie slurred "Sorry." Meredith who was quick to recover immediately sat up turning on the light. Elena and Stefan sat up as well. "Buffy!" "Yeah." Adalie yawned "Now Blondie wherever you are please don't freak out but." A clatter of pebbles smashed against the window. "But my stupid older brother is outside." "What!" "Oh its fine its fine." Adalie brushed the air as if she could wave away her concerns. "You are so not his type, your boyfriends on the other hand meh! But you know just hide under the covers for a minute." She opened the window and leaned out Bonnie entangled herself from the covers and cuddled up next to Meredith who looked surprisingly shaken. "The cold" she muttered gesturing to the open window as she trembled. But the night air was making Bonnie feel a lot better.
"Nicholas! what the fuck are you doing here?" Adalie yelled out the window. "Darling." A posh British accent replied "What accuse to I need to visit my favourite little sister?" Adalie looked over her shoulder and laughed like they were part of the joke. "Your favourite sister's on the 'Milano' catwalk." "Second favourite then" "I'd say considering the time difference she's fucking the…what is it fourth richest man in the world?" "Alright darling my favourite witch baby sister.. satisfied? Now unless you want me standing outside here all night singing you'll let me in." "Oh god." Adalie retreated from the window and addressed the lump beneath the covers that was Elena "I am so sorry Hun but he is not the glee-top-note-of-defying-gravity-kind-of-gay. Come up!" She yelled outside. Just as Stefan shouted "Don't you dare!"
Her Brother vaulted over the window sill. He was handsome, Damon handsome almost a masculine version of his sister except her eyes which where a witch sort of violet were replace by a sea blue colour that only existed on boys faces in novels. He flashed the room a charming smile and turned to his sister "Was this Damon's bright idea?" "Yes it was" Damon said walking through the doorway hand out stretched the two men shook. "Strange company you keep now days, meals on legs?" "Nick!" Adalie said crossly slapping her brother's arm "You can't talk about them that way." "Because it's the objectification of woman?" "Precisely don't make me bite off your ear too." "I thought you did that on a civil rights march." "Oh yes your right it was teeth at the woman's liberation in '71" Adalie said almost to herself.
"Well objects or not your all in frightful trouble Radley knows where you are, but if you take them to the dark dimension say now then he'll probably let it drop if the deal takes care of the two infamous Salvatore brothers, miss troublemaker and a hunter slayer." He lit a cigarette and leant over to light Adalie's. "So you've come with a with a warning? Typical daddy's boy." Adalie muttered "Hey I'm the nice chap here." The man drawled you know the one that's not tearing out people's throats but I am suggesting if you want this to remain this to be the case… you start going now."
"Meredith." Bonnie knocked on the bathroom door softly "Everyone's outside." There was no reply. Closing her eyes Bonnie gripped the ornate handle tightly and the lock clicked open she walked in. Meredith was sitting on top of the toilet crying. Immediately Bonnie wrapped a arm around her "What's wrong!" "I should have staked him." Meredith mumbled trying desperately to control her tears. "Adalie's brother? But he didn't hurt us!" "But he's a killer!" Meredith shouted and then twisted away sobbing. Bonnie stroked her hair. "I could see it in his eyes, hanging out with them makes you forget how… how evil! They are its dehumanizing." She wiped tears away "Sorry" she whispered with a wobbly smile returning Bonnie's one armed hug for the first time.
"Don't tell them about this are my eyes all right." She stared up at Bonnie the rock hard façade and her clear grey eyes completely returned to normal. "It's just Adalie's right you know I owe it to the humans in the dark dimension to give them a half decent place to live. But oh god." She muttered not looking at Bonnie and half laughing. "I just wish I could be selfish I could have had Harvard, Alaric and a dirty conscience but a bright future." Bonnie had never seen her friend like this talking or crying so much and she had no idea what to say. She gave Meredith another hug. "It's not to late to have all those things you know Meredith, Elena won't demand you to come if you think about it how many selfish decisions has she made for Stefan? She understands love." She hoped she did not sound to bitter.
But Meredith shook her head "Which is precisely why I need to go. Someone in that band of midsummer dreamers has to be sensible." She bit her lip and got up swinging her bag over her shoulder, turning away from Bonnie. "But god," She said so quietly Bonnie almost couldn't here you "I want you to come to."
Outside on the curb it was dark and freezing after about ten minutes Adalie's red convertible pulled up at the curve. Bonnie noticed that in the same way it was in Scotland her driving seat was on the right hand side of the car. "Hop in." She said cheerfully. "Sorry for the hold up I think I may have run someone over." "Are you sure this is safe." Meredith whispered "She's drunk." "High functioning alcoholic." Damon muttered. "But well done on the maths darling how many seats are there? Five?" And lets see how many of us one... two." "Oh do shut up! And just get in." Stefan, Elena and Meredith clambered into the back. Bonnie got in first next to Adalie and found as she did so the seat stretched behind her and popped out a seatbelt to accommodate Damon. "Really Damon you must see a therapist about that Body dysmorphia your bum is not that big!"
"So" she said pulling away from the side walk. "Where exactly are we going with this? I mean we can't go back to fells church so er where did you guys use as a gateway last time?" "Last time." Elena said icily "Meredith and I." "And Bonnie." Meredith added quietly "Yes, we had to go in as slaves. No way is that happening again! Have you not even been to the dark dimension?" "Like it or not." Adalie said "I am half a Radley at that means I can't go the dark dimension and have little desire to." "Why not?" "Oh I don't know." Adalie sighed "Let's have some music, in honour of your wonderful country, perhaps Bruce Springsteen?" She pushed the silver disc into the C.D slot. And she began to sing in a clear beautiful voice along to the music "So" Elena said irritably "When did Damon and you meet?" "Oh When was it darling? During the war, I think." "She tried to stab me." Damon said flatly.
"Really." Stefan chuckled. "I was ten," Adalie continued to clarify "and I lived with my elder sister and her husband." "The posh fucker." Damon interrupted "Oh shut up, anyway my sister she was my mother's first daughter- nothing to do with my father. Well she was pretty afraid that my father would discover me and shoot me in the chest or something, so she told me to if I ever saw anyone with a vampire aura to scream and shove something wooden into them and scream blue murder. As it transpired I was not a very good screamer. But I got very close to creeping up on Damon." "I knew you were there the whole time!" Damon snapped "Lies." Adalie sang "Don't you worry darlin' No baby, don't you fret. We're livin' in the future and…"
"And Stefan." Elena added "Oh when I was about seventeen we were in some of the same social circles I was a lot nicer back then, so where are we going? I'm thinking Salem. "Salem?" I don't see why not." Adalie lit a cigarette and blew a bolt of smoke in Bonnie's direction "Oh sorry doll." She said hurriedly batting the smoke away grinding her cigarette out. "a lot of blood was shed there probably could be used as a dark dimension gate way." "Probably? Probably isn't good enough Adalie! Your Fucking father is about too." "Ok, but were going to Salem anyway." The witch said firmly "It's closest."
Bonnie knelt by the ground, they had arrived in Salem early that morning. But Adalie insisted they could not attempt to open a gateway until midnight. Midnight on all Hallow's eve to be precise. So they had gone to bed. "Can you feel that?" Adalie whispered. She could. Beneath the silvery dark grass almost tangible as though she could feel it with her fingers instead of her mind. A crack as black as sin, split the earth beneath her fingers, "Yes but how to access it?" "And where the fuck is it going to spit us out." Damon said. "Lady Ulma's I think." Adalie muttered. "What?" "What?" "You said Lady Ulma." Damon said grimly. "Oh Damon, you are naughty about aristocracy." Adalie sighed. "But as for accessing it. " She clicked her fingers.
Like a fire work yellow flames erupted from the earth. It snarled against the wind, chanting swirled out the smoke and the edge of a werewolf howl sliced through the air. She took hold automatically of Elena and Meredith's hands. They seemed unperplexed she guessed that you could only here the horror if you were physic. But Adalie seemed strangely excited her lips pulled into a creamy pout. "So you know just walk through the fire." "What!" Elena shouted over the wind. "JUST WALK THROUGH THE FLAMES." "No!" Stefan shouted. "OH SHUT UP YOU OVER PROTECTEIVE BASTARD." Adalie yelled. Elena turned to Bonnie and hugged her tightly "We'll be back." she promised Meredith hugged Bonnie as well. And they took hands, "Stefan." Elena yelled "We've got to go in together." Without a word to Bonnie Stefan immediately appeared in a blur at his mistress's side. And haltingly they walked up to the flames. Bonnie stayed their rigid as with a blood curdling wail they disappeared into the white heart of the fire.
She turned numbly to look at Damon and Adalie. Who were saying goodbye several feet away from her. Because of the wind and the sounds in her own head, she saw Damon mouth "Sorry." And lean over to kiss her. She kissed him chastely and then shoved him away. For a moment he lingered teetering on the balls of his feet about to walk over to Bonnie. And then he changed his mind and turned back to the flames.
Something in Bonnie woke up. And she screamed "Damon." And began to run towards him, she had to tell him she had too she couldn't let him go into hell without "Damon!" She screamed again. He turned to her and seemed for a moment to reach for her desperate hand but as their skin brushed against each other he slapped it away. The blackness whirled and extinguished the flam and Bonnie just fell to the wet grass and began to cry. She didn't even here Adalie come and sit down next to her. "I'm sure he only did that because he didn't want you to accidentally get sucked in again."
Bonnie said nothing she just couldn't stop herself crying eventually the tears bean to ease "I'm sorry." She said unsure why she was asking but knowing in the pit of her stomach she had to. "But I need to ask, who is Caitlin MacLachlan?" Adalie bit her lip Bonnie could see in the half light her working out how much to tell her.
"She was my friend." She said at last "A French Scot her grandmother was a maid who married a duke and we were a trio like you, Elena and Meredith. With another girl called Eugenia who was s beautiful by the time we were thirteen everyone had forgotten her awful name and called her Aphrodite." Adalie paused. "She looked a lot like you a petite red head Damon used to call her ginger kitten he was terribly soft on her. And then she married a handsome American doctor when she was twenty years old who was old enough to be her father. He was very damaged he'd… liberated the camps after the war." "God" Bonnie whispered "How awful." Adalie nodded and ground out her cigarette.
"We didn't exactly approve of the match he was rich or titled enough for Aphrodite and I hated the idea of getting married at all, but we smiled for the camera." In the shadows Bonnie could see Adalie's face screwed up in a painful sort of smile. "Then after they had been married a year he got drunk they had a fight and he threw her down a flight of stairs."
She sighed heavily. "And then hah! The real skeleton in the fucking closet, I killed him you know I shouldn't have done but it was either going to be Damon, Aphrodite or I and surprisingly I was the most humane. I found out why he did it then. She was six months pregnant."
She turned to Bonnie and smiled shaking her head. "Little boy, they had been using protection all year ,her husband wasn't really a one for reproducing not after what he'd seen during the war and what he saw in the mirror every morning after a hangover no doubt. And of course the baby was Damon's." "What! Oh lord." More tears flowed down Bonnie's cheeks as she looked at Adalie in shock "They were going to have a son." "Yeah." Bonnie closed her eyes beneath her lids she imagined the scarlet haired ghost who she had been at one with holding a fading Damon eyed baby to her breast. "God." She whispered again.
Adalie lit a cigarette "I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset…" "No, its fine" Bonnie said quickly.
"I think you will see them again you know." She said. "Really, last night you said only two of them were going to come out alive." "Oh." Adalie grimaced "Well you know how time works in the dark dimension maybe its been a hundred years already and the slaves have been freed and they all died in the revolution." Bonnie gave her an agonized look "Sorry." She muttered "I know I'm not helping." Bonnie said nothing the need the desire for him was almost too much she felt like screaming. "Just one more thing." Adalie's voice seemed curiously far away. She was standing up the unnerving sense of outer body was filling Bonnie, but she could not open her mouth to make a sound. Slowly in a unfolding motion she stood.
"Do you possess a pendant on a platinum chain? It's a pretty little thing a diamond and sapphire star. Do you have it?" " Yes." Bonnie whispered. "My Grandmother…" "It's a witch charm; please keep it safe for me darling. Keep it safe."
And like falling back to the grave, the earth slid beneath her feet and she was laying on tarmac her red hair or was it blood? Streaming behind her head. The velvet sky studded with silver stars, blurred in her vision. The whine of a ambulance and the flicker of red blue lights, her name "Miss McCullough." "Miss McCullough." Over and over. Better to forget she closed her eyes. Better to forget.