Once again thank you for the lovely reviews. I decided to post the last two chapters in one go and I guess you can already imagine what happens in this chapter...
Jeremy and Damon went to another motel to shower and change clothes. The vampire decided they would also spend the night there and head back tomorrow. Jeremy was fine with that. He wondered what the others would say if they really returned with Ric and Anna in tow. And how they would explain Ric`s resurrection. Still he didn`t dare to make plans, too afraid that it wouldn`t work out. That he would only get his hopes up and be all the more devastated when their plan failed.
Damon was unusually quiet as well, seemingly lost in thought. They went to a nearby diner to eat, before returning to the motel again, where they watched some mindless TV to kill time. Jeremy`s eyes flickered to the window every few minutes. He couldn`t wait for it to get dark, to finally start the ritual and end this uncertainty. And yet at the same time he was afraid of what would happen once the sun set.
He also wondered about Alaric`s absence. The ghost had accompanied them to the motel, but disappeared while Jeremy was in the shower and he had yet to return. The teen figured he was checking up on the others again and tried to shrug it off. Maybe he also needed some time to himself. Maybe he was just as scared about what would or wouldn`t happen tonight.
At least he knew that Ric didn`t object against the plan. He had tried to contact Anna, but as always she hadn`t reacted, making him all the more nervous. But it was too late to turn back now. He had made his decision and he would stick to it, no matter what.
When the sun finally began its descent Damon started pacing. He seemed just as nervous as Jeremy. In the end they shared a look and, coming to an unspoken agreement, left the motel early. They reached the night club just as the sun was setting.
Jeremy stared at the dark building with an uneasy feeling. The hairs at the back of his neck stood on end. He blamed it on today`s events. Sure, he had killed vampires or hybrids before, but it had never been like this. Usually he had done it to protect himself or Elena. And he`d never experienced a fight like that before. He also had no wish to repeat the experience in the near future. He looked at Damon, who was pacing again, only to realize that he wasn`t the only one watching the vampire.
Alaric had returned. He smiled slightly when he noticed Jeremy`s eyes on himself. "Are you okay?" The teen shrugged and muttered: "Nervous.", which caused Damon to stop pacing and stare at him questioningly. "Ah.. are you as nervous as I am?" Jeremy asked, inwardly cursing himself for speaking up and cursing Ric for the secrecy.
"Me? Nervous? No way." Damon winked at him. "I`m just edgy because the witch is late." he claimed. Jeremy rolled his eyes and looked over at Ric in time to see him mimic the action.
They waited a few more minutes in silence, until Celia appeared with her brother in tow. Colin looked apprehensive, which in turn spiked Jeremy`s nervousness. Celia on the other hand was completely calm. She had treated her short dress for a black catsuit, that highlighted the curves of her body and made her look even more pale. She motioned for the men to follow her and went inside without hesitation.
Jeremy`s heart started beating faster as he entered the building. Once inside he stopped dead in his tracks and looked around in surprise. The hall was almost completely empty, cleared of any broken furniture and dead bodies. Instead there were dozens of candles arranged around the center.
"I stopped by earlier to clean up. The mess you two left behind would have disturbed my concentration." the witch explained. Jeremy was glad that he wouldn`t have to see that carnage again. It was already burned into his memory.
Celia looked up and declared: "It`s time." startling the teen out of his musings. She went to the center of the hall and sat down cross legged. "Come over here and sit down across from me." she instructed Damon and Jeremy. The two complied wordlessly, while Colin remained close to the exit. He looked ready to bolt any minute. Celia didn`t even glance in his direction.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, lighting the candles with a thought. It got eerily quiet. Damon listened to the slow, rhythmic beating of Celia`s heart and the quickened heartbeat of Jeremy next to him and Colin over by the exit. Despite his earlier words he was nervous as hell. But he wasn`t about to tell anyone. Instead he focused on Celia, trying to appear calm.
Seconds ticked by. Maybe minutes. He couldn`t tell. Time seemed to slow down. The witch didn`t move a muscle. He had expected her to chant or something like that. Didn`t magic require spells? The candles flickered and there was a low rumble, like thunder far off in the distance. Damon´s vampire hearing picked up on the wind getting stronger. It sounded like there was a storm raging outside the building.
Suddenly there was a clap of thunder and the electric lights went out. Jeremy jumped and Colin gave a startled yelp. Celia opened her eyes. Her pupils were dilated and the flickering candlelight gave them an eerie glow that made Damon shudder. He had learned over the years not to trifle with witches and Celia was without a doubt one of the most powerful ones he`d ever met. Maybe the most powerful one. Aside from Bonnie, that is. Not that he would ever admit that out loud.
"Think of the one you want to bring back. Concentrate all your thoughts, all your feelings only on them." Celia instructed, her voice sounded like it was coming from far away.
Damon closed his eyes and thought of Alaric, of his wry smile and the way he chuckled when they were joking around. Of the way his eyes sparkled when he was talking about something he was passionate about. He thought of them hunting together, drinking together, hanging out together. Of the rare moments they would just sit in the study of the boarding house and talk.
He marveled over how their relationship had changed. How they had tried to kill each other at first (and he had succeeded), then slowly started working together because they had the same goals, cared about the same people. How they ended up getting drunk at the Grill more than once a week. How they slowly became friends.
At the same time Jeremy was concentrating on his memories of Anna. He remembered the day they met, how he thought she was strange at first, but quickly started liking her. He thought of them spending time together, before he knew she was a vampire and after he`d found out. He remembered the day he had cut himself to bait her. How it had felt when she drank from him. How afraid she had been of hurting him.
How overwhelmed he had been when she enrolled at school just to spend the day with him. He thought back to when he had first started seeing ghosts and how happy he had been to have her back in his life. How amazing it had been to hold her, kiss her again.
When he suddenly heard Anna say his name he thought it was only his imagination. Only a memory. But she sounded so insecure and almost scared that he opened his eyes, gasping at the sight that met him.
Anna was standing behind Celia, her arms wrapped around herself. She looked around in wonder and a little fear. "Jeremy?" she whispered again. Without thinking he jumped up and crossed the small distance that separated them. Hesitating only a second he reached his hand out to touch her and gasped when he felt her smooth skin under his fingertips.
"I can feel you." she whispered at the same time Jeremy exclaimed: "It worked." They stared at each other, Jeremy in wonder and Anna questioning. "We found this witch... she.. she brought you back." the teen stammered. Anna`s eyes widened, realization dawning on her. "I`m... alive again?"
"As alive as a vampire can be." Celia declared. She stood behind the two and watched their exchange with mild amusement. There was something dark about her, more so than before, that sent chills down Jeremy`s spine. But he pushed the feeling aside. She had given him his greatest wish. "Thank you." he whispered sincerely. The witch smiled in that sinister way. "You`re welcome." She turned away and Jeremy decided to ignore her and concentrate on Anna instead.
"Is that okay? I mean, what I did?" he asked nervously. Anna blinked and he could see her eyes shimmering with tears. "I just.. I missed you. So much." he tried to explain, afraid that she really would hate him now. He was surprised when she threw herself into his arms. "You bring me back to life and really ask if it`s okay? Of course it`s okay, you idiot." she exclaimed and Jeremy sighed in relief.
He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her even closer and just held her for what felt like hours, but couldn`t have been more than a few minutes. The joy he felt was overwhelming. Finally pulling back a little he remembered that Anna wasn`t the only one who had come back and he looked around.
Damon heard Anna whisper Jeremy`s name. He heard the boy get up and knew that it had worked. But still he didn`t dare to open his eyes. Only when he felt a hand on his shoulder, did he look up to find Alaric smiling down on him. "Hey buddy." For a second Damon was unable to react. He could only stare at his best friend in awe, which Ric found highly amusing. The former teacher held out his hand and when Damon took it he pulled him up and into a hug, which the vampire returned immediately.
Ric`s closeness was nearly overpowering him and he had to fight to keep his emotions under control. Pulling back he grinned at Ric. "Welcome back among the living. Well, the living dead, anyway." Ric chuckled. "Thanks. Only you would be able to pull off something like this." He shook his head, a wry smile on his lips.
Damon shrugged. "You didn`t really expect me to babysit the kids all on my own? That`s your job." he reminded his friend, who chuckled again. Typically Damon to find excuses. They would need to talk. But that could wait.
The former teacher noticed Jeremy looking for him and went over to hug his protégé. "I`m glad to have you back. I mean for real and not just..." the teen shrugged a little awkwardly. "I know what you mean. And it`s good to be back." Alaric replied.
"It is." Anna agreed, cuddling against Jeremy, who put an arm around her with a happy smile. "I hate to interrupt the little party, but maybe it`s time to head back to the motel." Damon cut in. The other three agreed.
The dark haired vampire looked at Celia, noting the changes in her as well. She had always been drawn to the darker side of magic, while Colin feared it. As long as he had known the twins that was something they always argued about. Usually Celia won. She was the stronger of the two.
He didn`t believe for a second that the witch had done all this just to pay him back. She got something out of it as well. Power, he supposed and had to suppress a shudder. He was lucky to be on her good side and since he wanted it to stay that way he wouldn`t question her motives. He got what he wanted after all.
"I guess we`re even." he told her. "We are. But if you ever need anything..." Damon accepted the offer with a smile. "Thanks. Same goes for you." he answered. And he meant it. Evil bitch or not, she was a valuable ally.
They said their goodbyes and left, passing Colin on their way out, who still stood close to the exit and was frowning at his sister. Damon felt a little bad for him, but knew he would get over it. When it came down to it the twins were always there for each other. They just disagreed on certain things. They were a lot like him and Stefan, he realized, but pushed the thought of his brother away for now. He would deal with Stefan and the consequences of his actions when they got back to Mystic Falls.