I know, I know, it's Wednesday (well, nearly Thursday) and I'm only now updating. I think I've mentioned before that I'd be late, occasionally. This is one of those occasions. I hope no one's losing interest. It's just pretty damn hard updating weekly. Especially if you have a life going on. I'm more than happy to write, I just need some extra time.
But I'm glad I got this out before the new episode. This one's for Into The Wild and it was one of the most difficult episodes to write for, because well, those who've seen it know what I'm talking about, Bamon-wise.
I hope I did a good job. I have to say I'm not very pleased with this chapter, but the plot didn't give me much to work with. I think this week's episode will give me more material. I do feel sort of bummed out, though. I feel like I could've done better, but you'll be the judges of that.
Your reviews have been so lovely and helpful, I have no reason to complain. Btw, 309 reviews? You guys are insane and I love you.
Anonymous reviewers, here we go: Guest(1): Glad the conversation at the end had the warranted effect :) And yeah, I am just as frustrated they did literally NOTHING with Kennett. Missed opportunity indeed. Thanks for the support, tackling both college and this fanfic has proven quite a feat:); Alexis: aww, thank you :); Guest(2): wow, thanks for the ample review and commentary:) Completely agree with you on the sire bond part, it's been made pretty clear her "love" is a direct consequence of that. I'm glad you approved of Bonnie walking away. She really does need someone to put her first. Damon is going to make some progress this chapter in that concern, but he's still got some growing to do. As for Elena, I swear, as I was watching the episode I thought that's what my switched-off Elena would say and do, so you know the writers are really treading water. Thanks again for the interesting thoughts on the show and my story, I'll keep in mind to delve more into Bonnie's motivations (some of them stem from the fact that she wants to know how exactly this immortal witch is connected to her); Guest(3): Oh, I totally feel you in regards to Damon. I was completely taken with him circa season 1 because he was such a walking contradiction, but come season 3 I was seeing the cracks. I don't understand why the writers claim season 4 is a return to season 1 Damon. Season 1 Damon would never say he doesn't give a crap about Bonnie Bennett, the witch he thanked for saving his life. I seriously think Damon needs a fresh start. Some would say he belongs with Katherine, but I think he needs to stay far away from the Petrovas. These women have inadvertently ruined his life. He definitely needs someone like Bonnie to take him away from that mess. Thanks for the kind words, I'm happy you like my version so far:); Guest(4): well, Damon's certainly in a difficult position; as you mentioned, giving up on someone you've loved for so long is hard. Before he can let go, he needs to understand he's not betraying himself and who he is. The idea of choices will be prevalent in this chapter; Vie: haha, I think that's EXACTLY what Damon wanted to say, but couldn't because men. I mean they say we're fickle, but they're a lot more undecided. But I guess that's Damon's tragedy. There's hope, though. He's slowly but surely getting on the right track; Guest(5): Aww, I'm so happy whenever someone mentions Elena, I'm glad my work with her isn't in vain, I really do try to make her as interesting as possible:); Guest(6): thank you:); Guest(7): awww, very flattered! will keep writing, hopefully updating sooner:); Guest(8): thank you, so happy everyone approves of Bonnie, she showed so much strength in that one scene. I think she would do the same on the show. Hope you like the new chapter:)
Whew, hope that was everyone.
Now for my usual notifications:
1. I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but I'd like to underline again that I can't include everything from an episode, so it would help to watch it, or at least skim through it. I didn't include any Klaroline (sorry, Klaroline fans) because I don't think it bears on my story and I wouldn't have anything to change. Likewise, some other minor scenes in the episode do not need a do-over. If I don't feel there's much I can do with them, I let them be. I hope no one minds, but I would never be able to post any chapters relatively on time otherwise.
2. A change I feel the need I must specify, however: Damon doesn't know as much about Qetsiyah and the curse as on the show. Basically, my Shane tells him less because he needs him slightly in the dark about this.
3. Some of the changes I've made might not please some of you, but I did them with a view to enhance character development, so I hope you can understand :)
4. At one point, I might need to write one chapter for two episodes, because I don't know exactly when my story will go full AU regarding Silas. I will let you know.
5. I'm hoping I can keep posting regularly, but if breaks do happen, I will update later in that week/month. I hope you'll continue reading.
Well, nothing left to say but enjoy! And don't forget to review:)
"Is she gone?" Bonnie asked as she shut the front door behind her.
Mayor Hopkins rose from the couch and ran to her.
"Bonnie - where were you? Are you all right? Did anything happen?"
Suddenly she was locked in a tight embrace. Her eyes widened. She timidly placed one hand on his shoulder.
"You're not upset?"
"No, baby, I was just worried."
"You shouldn't have, I'm fine. Jeremy managed to kill the Original."
"I'm sure you were the one who made it possible -"
"No, actually, he did it on his own. I only made sure Klaus, the Original's brother, wouldn't come after us."
"What did you do?"
"I...trapped him in Elena's house. The shields will keep him there. It's only temporary, though."
Mayor Hopkins sighed, caressing her hair softly.
"I won't let him come after you, I promise."
"I doubt there's much you can do against him. I'm still the only one who can stand up to him."
"It doesn't have to be that way, Bonnie. You don't have to do this alone, whatever this is."
Bonnie smiled bitterly.
"I always have to do it alone. It's basically who I am, who I've been for the past 18 years. I'm not blaming you or mom, it's too late for that. I prefer it this way. I'm usually better when I'm alone."
"I don't believe that -"
"Where's mom?"
"Ah, she - she left. I convinced her she was doing you more harm than good. She agreed to go, but she won't stay put for long. She still believes your magic isn't safe."
Bonnie rolled her eyes in disdain.
"Of course she would believe that. She used her magic to desiccate Mikael. No wonder she's afraid of anything outside the spirits."
"But she has a point, doesn't she? Your magic -"
"Yeah, it's not pleasant and frankly I don't want to use it more than I have to, but it's better, it's easier, it's faster. It actually keeps me safer."
Her father seemed unconvinced.
"You're my dad. You'll always worry."
"Honey, you incapacitated your own mother. How am I supposed to feel?"
"Proud, for one. She defended herself against a vampire."
Bonnie turned around in shock.
Atticus Shane was standing in their kitchen, watching them intently, a small smile on his lips.
"What are you doing here?" Bonnie spat in disgust.
"I believe your father invited me."
She stared at Rudy in shock. "You let this maniac inside our home?"
"I think it's worth listening to what he has to say, Bonnie. I only did it because he told me -"
"What? That I'm unstable? Uncontrollable? You know he's full of it, dad!"
"Bonnie, he's here to help-"
"Is that what he said? Well, I don't need his help."
"And you have every right to feel that way after everything that's happened. It doesn't change the fact that you do need my help, Bonnie," Shane remarked calmly.
"No, what I need is for you to get far away from me. And you should have known better than to listen to him," she retorted, turning on her dad.
"I didn't want to listen to him, Bonnie, but I've seen -"
"You've seen nothing! You haven't seen what I can do!" she bellowed, eyes sparkling.
There was a loud pop and two glasses in their vicinity exploded into a million shards, sending pieces flying all around her in a dangerous vortex. The lights started going on and off and the furniture began to shake. The coffee table was raised up in the air and then smashed against the wall.
Bonnie knelt down and slammed the ground with her open palms.
A wave of magic swept the entire house and broke the gravitational field. Furniture was now floating midair. Her own father had to hold on to the door frame.
He cowered in fear, covering his eyes.
Only Shane walked up to her without any hesitation, impervious to the chaos all around him.
He tipped her chin up and stared into her stormy eyes.
"You're ready. It's time," he said with a smirk.
Damon tried to catch her eye as he unloaded the sleeping bags off the boat, but Bonnie was adamantly ignoring him.
Not only that, but she had barely exchanged five words with him all journey, even though he had made his usual catty remarks about the grimness of their situation.
Jeremy, however, had been more antagonistic than usual. The hunter was certainly not ignoring him. He was constantly throwing him looks when he thought he wasn't paying attention.
Damon suspected he was starting to put two and two together. But, considering this was little Gilbert, it would take another week or two until he realized Bonnie had feelings for the vampire.
"Need any help, Bonnie?" Jeremy asked, offering his hand to help her get off the boat.
"What, afraid she'll get wet? Don't worry, she won't melt," Damon quipped, throwing another bag on the shore.
Bonnie hid a smirk and jumped on the sand.
"I'll be okay, Jeremy. You go along."
Jeremy made sure to glare at Damon as he walked away.
"What's his problem anyway?"
Bonnie raised an eyebrow. "As if you didn't know."
"I would've thought he'd learnt by now that it's no use pining after you," he spoke casually, slinging the rucksack across his back.
Because you're not interested in him. You want me, were the unspoken words that lingered between them. They were on the tip of his tongue, but he knew saying them would drive her away for good.
Bonnie seemed to guess what he was thinking.
"Elena is waiting," she pointed out, looking over his shoulder.
Damon turned. The girl was standing some feet away, watching them with an undecipherable expression on her face. She waved briefly.
"Yeah, I'll get to her -" he began, but Bonnie was already out of his sight.
Good friends, my ass. I knew things would change, he thought, frowning as Professor Creep placed a hand on the small of her back and guided her away from the shore. But Bonnie stiffly pushed his hand off and walked away, ignoring him.
Damon smiled. At least the little witch was no longer fooled by his apparent charm.
"Come on, we've got a cure to find," Elena called after him.
"I can't believe she's here. After telling you to put a dagger in my back she's still walking around as if she weren't a massive bitch. I don't see the point of it, really, she is perfectly useless to us," Rebekah commented spitefully, watching Elena unpack some feet away.
"Not that useless," Elena replied, smiling. "I almost convinced your boyfriend to do it."
Rebekah was behind her in two seconds, stake pressed to her ribs.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now. You helped finish two of my brothers and you scheme against me at every turn."
"So do it," Elena said tensely and one of her hands found Rebekah's. She grabbed it roughly and pressed the stake into her skin. "Just remember that if I die, neither of them will care about the cure anymore."
They locked eyes and for a moment, Rebekah saw in them the same despair that were reflected in hers.
"You actually want to die, don't you?" The Original muttered, relenting her hold.
"Break it off, you two. No more fighting. It isn't helping anyone, least of all you," Stefan said, coming between them.
"You're right. She's not even worth killing," Rebekah spat, walking away.
Stefan watched Elena carefully. She was trying to bury her reaction underneath all those layers of indifference. She was becoming an expert at it.
"Why don't you go back to your shiny toy and I'll go back to mine," she said, as she saw Damon approaching with the luggage.
"Hey, you okay? You seem out of it."
Damon smiled uneasily as he felt Elena's hands circle his neck. Her sharp nails tickled the soft skin of his nape, making him shiver.
"I'm great. I just want this whole cure quest to end. I'm not a big fan of Professor Creep, or Rebekah, or my brother, or Jerbear, or...well, anyone actually," he replied, skilfully avoiding mentioning Bonnie's name.
"So what you're saying is that you hate team work."
"Who doesn't?"
"Well, then, think of it as a team made up of just you and me. We don't need anyone else." Her smile did not reach her eyes.
"I wish that were true."
"Do you trust me?"
Damon furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Why do you ask?"
"You've been distant lately."
"Well, I was locked up in a cellar. Kind of hard to be physically or emotionally close."
"You know what I meant."
"No, I don't, actually, because I'm the only one who's stood by you in all of this. So asking me if I trust you- "
"I still want to know you'll stand by me later."
"You mean when you turn human?"
Elena chuckled, looking away. "Sure. If I turn human. Though the odds are against us."
"You know nothing will change between us."
"Hasn't it already, though?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
Damon felt an argument coming and he knew the issue was Bonnie, but he didn't have the heart for it. There was just something immensely problematic about having feelings for anyone other than her; the girl he'd loved in one form for more than a century and in another for the last two years. She had been such a constant in his life, that face had been the image of his every waking hour and every dreamless sleep. It was nearly impossible to efface it, to render it less than it was because he knew no other face, he knew no other girl.
And it seemed otherworldly that someone would love him first. All he'd ever known was second best. And he had grown used to it, at one point he had even accepted it begrudgingly, considering it the natural order of things.
But now that he had the doppelgänger - even in this altered, dehumanized form - by his side and not only that, but there was another who vied for his affection, another who had chosen him, he felt overwhelmed, thrown off balance, swept up in a torrent of unknown emotions.
It was as if for once, he was the center. He wasn't just a shadow in the corner anymore. He wasn't the forgotten brother.
He was Elena Gilbert now. He was in the same position.
And he was starting to understand why it had been so hard for her to choose.
"The only one who's changed is you, Elena," he replied coolly.
The hike seemed interminable. They had been walking for over an hour at the same infernally monotonous pace with only each other for company. The bickering and the passive-aggressiveness were nothing new, but being constantly reminded that his own brother wasn't speaking to him and that Elena had switched off did little to remedy his mood. There was nothing he could do. They were stuck together on this deserted island. Although, Damon could have sworn they were being watched.
You just got the eerie feeling that a pair of eyes was following you and charting your every move.
It didn't help that it was growing dark and Shane had started telling the story of some desiccated miners who had seen the reflection of their loved ones in a "magical" well. It was getting too Blair Witch Project for his taste.
He fell in step with Bonnie who was lagging behind.
"Do you believe that nut? He apparently "saw" his dead wife down there and she just "happened" to tell him how to resurrect Silas. I call bullshit."
Bonnie shrugged her shoulders, choosing to remain silent.
"I mean, believing in a magical well is one thing, but blaming your dead wife for homicide... that just seems like a jerk move to me."
Bonnie nodded noncommittally. "Mhm."
"You know, you can't ignore me forever. I'll wear you down, eventually."
"I'm not ignoring you, Damon. I just have a lot on my mind right now."
"Right, that's what they all say."
"When I say it, I usually mean it."
"Fair enough. But it never prevented you from talking to me in the past."
She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Why is it that you require so much attention?"
"I'm not asking you to devote every second of every hour to my needs. I mean, I'd definitely enjoy that, but I'm only asking -"
"No, you just take it personally when I don't feel like chatting."
"I'm only asking," Damon continued stubbornly, "for you to act as a friend. You said we're friends so I expect you to act the part."
"And I'm not acting like a friend?"
"I wouldn't classify it as such."
"Okay, what am I acting like, then?"
"Like someone who wants to be anywhere else but in my proximity."
"That's not true."
"Is that why you're inching away from me as we speak?"
"Friends are like that sometimes, friends get tired of each other."
"Bonnie."
"Look, I'm sorry I'm not being "perfectly amiable". Kind of hard to act friendly when you've made a fool of yourself."
"You haven't -"
"It feels like it, though."
"Then stop feeling that."
Damon knew as soon as he'd said it that it was a mistake. He cursed himself inwardly for his lack of tact. Good job. Why don't you tell her to stop liking you altogether?
Bonnie threw him a look. "I will, don't worry. I will."
He was about to tell her he'd meant something different, when he witnessed a sudden change in her demeanor; a grey film shrouded her eyes and instead of walking in a straight line as before, she veered off course and took an abrupt turn to the left, stumbling and wobbling her way through the woods.
Luckily, Damon quickly took hold of her and caught her in time before she fell down.
"Bonnie! Bonnie, wake up! Bonnie, can you hear me?!"
He kept shaking her shoulders, hoping she'd come round.
When she finally did, she was panting heavily.
"What happened?"
The others who had advanced on the path were now calling after them in concern.
"I don't know, you were completely out. As if you were in some sort of trance," he replied, cupping her face in his hands and checking for any signs of compulsion.
She moved out of his grasp.
"Trance?"
"As if the spirits had taken over you again," he told her, recalling the time when she had fed Alaric her blood. That had been terrifying.
Bonnie shook her head.
"That's impossible. I'm cut off from the spirits. We don't communicate anymore."
Damon frowned. "Then how are you getting your magic?"
"I think it's this island," she replied, avoiding his question. "I feel like - I feel like I've been here before. No, not feel. I know I lived here once."
"Past life?"
"Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?"
"Wouldn't be top of the list."
"I just don't understand what it's trying to tell me."
"The island?"
"Or someone on the island."
"You think it's those miners?"
"I doubt it. They just wanted to see their loved ones, they knew nothing about Silas."
"What if it's Silas himself?" Damon asked, feeling a cold chill travel down his spine.
"If it is from a witch, it might be from Qets -"
"Bonnie! Damon! You guys out there?" the others called from afar.
"We'd better get back," she sighed, moving past him.
"Wait, we can't just go back, we still don't know-"
"Well, we're not going to find any answers here, in the middle of nowhere."
The shack looked anything but comfortable. But it was abandoned and seemed relatively safe. At least if someone came after them, they would know.
"Oh, that's lovely, there's a mystery man with a hatchet lurking in the woods and we're just gonna camp," Damon sneered, looking about him in distrust.
"That mystery man did save Jeremy's life," Elena pointed out.
"Great, why don't we give him an award or something?"
"We're safer here than we are hiking in the dark," Shane argued. "All of us." His eyes traveled to Bonnie's figure.
Damon noticed the look they exchanged and he realized it would be better for Bonnie to lie somewhere inside than walk around in a trance.
"Fine," he mouthed reluctantly.
"But you know what would be even safer?" Damon told him, stepping up to him. "If you told us where the cure is right now. Get in, get out, simple as that. Then we'd be able to leave this crazy island and get back to Mystic Falls before dawn."
"How stupid do you think I am?"
"Stupid enough to raise an immortal witch so I'd say... incredibly."
"Yeah, I'm shocked you even want the cure considering you've got the most to lose once Elena is human."
"Then you don't know me very well or her," Damon retorted.
"We'll see about that."
"Shane doesn't know what he's talking about," Elena told him confidently, walking two steps behind him.
"Yeah, well, we'll find out tomorrow."
"Do you really think that I'm gonna take this cure, break the sire bond and fall out of love with you?"
Damon clenched his fists in anger. He couldn't take it anymore.
"No, I think you're gonna take this cure and stop being the homicidal vampire who's switched off. I think you're gonna take this cure and be yourself again."
Her eyes widened in surprise.
"Oh, you think I wouldn't figure it out eventually?"
"I hoped you wouldn't," she spoke tersely. "I hoped you wouldn't see what I -"
"Oh, just stop. Stop lying. You asked me if I still trusted you. It's you who doesn't trust me enough to tell me what's wrong with you."
"I didn't lie to you, Damon. I just didn't want you to get hurt."
"Really? You didn't want me to get hurt? By hiding from me?"
"You wouldn't have cared for me the same -"
"I always will. That's my punishment. I'll always love you, no matter what, can't you see that?"
"So, loving me is a punishment for you? Because you make it sound like some terrible curse."
Damon remained quiet.
"I'd rather you didn't love me then."
"You know I can't do that."
"It's not about what you can and cannot do. It doesn't work that way. Do you want to love me?"
Damon scoffed. "That doesn't even make sense -"
"Answer my question."
Damon shook his head. "I don't have to answer anything. You lied to me, Elena. You have no right to make demands."
Elena rolled her eyes in frustration.
"Was anything you told me real?" Damon asked weakly. "The I love yous and the sentimental speeches? The whole "your memory brought me back"?"
Elena squirmed under his gaze. She suddenly didn't feel very confident anymore.
"The part where you said you couldn't give up because you had me? Oh, what am I saying, of course you gave up!"
Elena shook her head, her eyes darkening. "I didn't."
"I mean you'd already switched off so, I imagine you just fed me a bunch of horseshit!"
She walked up to him angrily and slapped him hard on the cheek. The sound echoed against the branches.
"You know next to nothing about my feelings!"
"Then let's have it out! Tell me, if we're being honest!"
"There's nothing to tell! What you see is what you get! The only people in this miserable group I care about are you and Jeremy. Why do you think I'm different around you?! It's not an act. You are what brought me back. I could've done much worse, I could've -"
She stopped, taking a deep breath.
In the middle of all those lies, the sire bond had forced out a truth that shone in her eyes and made Damon waver in his resolve.
She realized she still cared about him. She still cared about Damon. Which meant she still cared about Stefan.
The Salvatore brothers had kept her from leaving town, had kept her from taking her own life.
The people she wanted to break the most were her undoing.
And this revelation brought on the next; she was just like Katherine, after all. The doppelgänger who was bound to love two brothers eternally, but instead of making them miserable, she was only hurting herself instead.
She chuckled bitterly. "I asked you whether you want to love me. Well, I don't. I don't want to love you."
The words had a finality to them that scared him. He suspected the "you" did not refer to him alone.
"And I don't think you want to, either," she added bleakly. "I don't think you want to love me."
Damon was at a loss for words.
When he found his footing again, all he could manage to say was: "You need the cure. And I'll get it for you. No matter what."
"I've been staring at pictures of Jeremy's tattoo and there's no spell."
"Oh, Expression doesn't require a written spell. Think of it as a way of accessing magic that already exists inside you. You just have to want it bad enough," Shane replied, throwing Bonnie one of his trademark smiles.
Bonnie made a face. "And I'm just supposed to trust you?"
"Bonnie, listen, I taught you Expression so that you could access the cure. I'll be right there with you all the time, I promise."
"You didn't answer the trust part."
Damon Salvatore was standing in the doorway, watching them carefully.
"Eavesdropping, Damon? Or are you just stalking Bonnie now?" Shane asked icily.
"Oh, don't peg me as the creep, Professor, we both know better."
"Damon, I can handle myself," Bonnie intervened.
"Sure you can. We just have to get him out of the picture first."
"All right, let me put it this way. You need me to help you through it, Bonnie."
"No, she doesn't -" Damon interrupted him.
"Are you going to believe a vampire? Remember what I told you a long time ago, Bonnie? That a vampire is the best and the worst thing that can happen to you?"
"Vampires are stimuli..." Bonnie quoted from memory.
"That's right. The Expression feeds on it."
Bonnie remembered how much she'd enjoyed drinking Damon's blood not long ago.
"What is he talking about, Bonnie?" Damon asked, concern seeping into his voice.
"You know the Expression can get messy. You've demonstrated it yourself," Shane continued, ignoring him. "Believe me when I say, I've seen it get a lot worse. And when it does, neither Damon nor anyone else will be able to help you."
"How much worse?" Damon interrupted him, alarmed.
"When we lost our son in the car accident, my wife kind of lost it. She tried to resurrect his body using magic."
Bonnie looked crestfallen.
"Your wife was a witch?"
"She was a powerful witch. And incredibly undisciplined."
"And you never thought to tell me?!"
"I didn't want to scare you. The truth is she tried to bring our son back using Expression and it overwhelmed her. She died."
In a split second, Damon had him pinned to the wall, hand around his neck.
"You taught her the same magic that killed you wife?" His voice was dangerously low and quiet. A sign that he was about to do something reckless.
"I know how it sounds but it's different now," Shane whimpered, struggling against his grip. "I know the warning signs now and I can keep Expression from consuming her."
"Downside is you turned her into a bomb that only you can dismantle!" Damon bellowed, throwing him across the floor.
He grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and punched him hard, making his head fall back. Then he punched him again and again, until his knuckles hurt from the impact.
"Damon!" Bonnie yelled. "Damon, stop! This isn't helping! You're going to kill him!"
"Good! It's what I'm counting on!"
"Don't - don't you think I know how this ends?" Shane asked, spitting blood. "I came here to raise Silas so that he can bring back the dead, but you're never gonna let that happen! The second I point to a cure, you're gonna kill me -"
"I feel like killing you right now," Damon grunted, holding him down.
"Damon, don't!"
"That's why Bonnie's gotta keep me alive," he continued, wheezing and gasping. "So I can keep her alive."
That seemed to put an end to Damon's plans. He reluctantly let him go.
Elena noticed his swollen hands and blue knuckles as he lay down next to her in his sleeping bag.
"Blew a fuse at someone?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You could say that."
"Come here, I've got some ointments."
"It'll heal quickly."
"Just let me do it, okay? I can't sleep either way."
Damon lay his hands in her lap.
She started massaging them softly.
"Why would you bring medicine when we've got vampire blood?"
"For Jeremy... and Bonnie."
"Oh. Looking out for them?"
"Trying."
"Elena?"
"Mm?"
"I've switched off before. And I was nothing like this. You're still...you."
"I thought I was completely different."
"I thought that too, but maybe I was wrong."
"All right. Say I'm still me. What does that say? That this, this reckless, callous, selfish person is the real me. That I never really switched off to begin with. It's always been me."
"That's not true-"
"Worst part is I don't mind. I don't mind if this is who I really am, deep down. I don't have any regrets anymore."
Come morning, Bonnie was already sitting down by the fire, trying a locator spell. Jeremy was gone. Someone had taken him in the middle of the night. Everyone else was already out there looking for him or getting ready to leave.
"You all right?"
She hadn't even noticed his presence, she was so focused on the spell. He crouched down next to her and handed her a bottle of water.
"Haven't seen you eat or drink all day."
"Glad someone's keeping tabs on me."
"Well, there's no point in starving yourself, is there?"
"Don't mother me, Damon."
"You know I'm only looking out for you. Besides, I don't think this is a good idea," he said, pointing at the fire.
"It's the fastest way to find Jeremy, he might die -"
"Yes and the Expression might kill you."
"Nothing will happen from a simple locator spell."
"Maybe I should stay behind."
"No! You're more useful to them. If I don't find him, you might."
"True, but that means leaving you here with Professor Crazy."
"He needs me as much as I need him, he won't hurt his witch," she replied bitterly.
"That doesn't mean he cares about what happens to you, you know, non-witch Bonnie Bennett."
Bonnie stared at him for a long time.
"There is no such thing as non-witch Bonnie Bennett."
"I think there is," he said, taking her hand.
Unbeknownst to them, Elena was watching them from a comfortable distance.
Something stirred inside of her. It was more than jealousy, it went deeper than that; somewhere in the recess of what used to be her human will something started moving. The sire bond's strings were beginning to unravel.
"You should go. I'm fine, really," Bonnie said at length, pulling away.
"Are you sure?"
"Jeremy needs your help more than I do."
Damon got up and turned around to find Elena, but she was gone. She had already left with the rest.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shane enter the shed, shutting the door behind him carefully.
"Let's see what you're up to."
"Jeremy! Jeremy!" Elena kept yelling, surveying the woods carefully.
"Why don't you yell louder? I don't think whoever took him heard you," Rebekah told her, sneering.
"And how are you helping exactly?"
"Well, I'm stronger than you, I'm faster than you and I'm quite certain I can charm the islanders a lot easier than boring, sulking Elena Gilbert."
"Not gonna disagree on the easy part," Elena bit back.
"All right, we get it, you two hate each other," Stefan let out in exasperation. "Can we just keep going please?"
"I tried to be her friend," Rebekah protested, "but somehow I ended up with a dagger in my back because I'm the evil one."
"I never said you're the evil one. If I'm being hard on you, you only have yourself to blame. It's because of you that I'm a vampire," Elena replied calmly.
"No, darling, that would be Damon, but you are too blinded by your pathetic sire bond to see it."
"Rebekah," Stefan warned her, giving her a stern look.
He was momentarily distracted and stepped on the wrong stone. A spiked trap flew straight at him.
Elena was at his side in a flash and stood between him and the wooden spears.
The Original raised an eyebrow in amusement.
"Well, well. Elena, the saviour."
"Thanks," Stefan mumbled, staring at her in disbelief. He could have probably dodged it easily, but the gesture shocked him.
"Force of habit, I guess," Elena muttered through gritted teeth.
Stefan realized one of the stakes had gone through her back.
"An inch further and it would've killed you," Rebekah remarked. "Are you on a suicide mission or something?"
"Just looking out for myself. Stefan's the only reason you haven't started killing us all."
Rebekah smirked. "You mean you."
Stefan helped her take out the stake.
"I'm probably top of your list."
Rebekah caught her by the elbow as she walked past her.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to be the one to grant you your wish, Elena," she whispered in her ear. "If you want to die, you'll have to do it yourself."
"I might just. Too bad I won't be here to witness your despair when you find yourself without a cure," she whispered back.
"That's not true. Stefan wants it for himself, not just for you."
"Why don't you ask him and find out?"
Elena detached herself from her and started for the camp again. "I'm gonna see if Bonnie's found anything. Be careful."
Stefan watched her leave with something akin to curiosity.
"You know, I'm still unable to understand why you want this cure so badly. It's only going to make matters worse for you; Elena is going to run back to your brother after taking it and Bonnie will undergo numerous dangers channeling extreme power to access it. I don't see a silver lining for you."
Damon had to remind himself that killing him right there and then would mean the end for Bonnie. But it was proving hard when the maniac was taunting him with all he had.
"You don't have to understand. You just have to tell me where the cure is."
"I won't, unless you tell me why you want it. Is it - is it for yourself?"
Damon scoffed. "Please. Being a puny mortal does not interest me."
"Doesn't it? Don't you want to be able to start a family, grow old with someone? Elena, maybe? ...Bonnie?"
"Don't get them involved in your twisted game."
"I'm not the one who involved them in the first place. It's you who decided to fall for two women at the same time. Or are you going to deny it?"
"You don't know anything about -"
"I know that you're burdened with the knowledge that you can't have both. And I know you can't let either of them go. So, really, it doesn't matter if it's Bonnie or Elena; they both stand for the same principle, the symbol of everything you could obtain and lose if you find this cure."
"You know, I'm this close to ending you. I'm literally a stab away from ending your miserable life. And I would be doing the world a service. You deserve to die."
"Then I'm taking Bonnie with me."
Damon grabbed his chin roughly.
"I'm calling your bluff. As long as Bonnie doesn't access the cure, she doesn't have to go overboard. She doesn't need you."
Shane smirked. "So that's your choice, then."
Damon frowned. "What are you rambling about?"
"You're not going to risk harming Bonnie to give Elena her humanity back. Instead, you will condemn her to a miserable eternity as a vampire. "
Damon glared at him in shock.
"Do it then. Kill me, if this your final choice. Do it. Or are you having second thoughts?"
Damon released him suddenly and stumbled back in confusion.
"I see. You're undecided. It's understandable. It always comes down to this, doesn't it? Bonnie Bennett and Elena Gilbert. Two sides of the same coin."
Damon wanted to rip his head clean off. He had never wanted to kill someone more in his entire life.
And yet, he couldn't. He couldn't deprive Elena of the cure.
"I hope when the time comes, you will make the right choice."
"Damn it!" Elena yelled, throwing the chair across the shed in frustration. They were all gone, Bonnie, Damon, Jeremy, Shane...
The Professor had taken all his equipment with him and she could bet he had also stolen the tombstone.
"What's going on?"
Elena whipped around and saw Stefan and Rebekah's figures in the doorway.
"What's going on is that someone's played us. Everyone is gone and we've been left with nothing," she spat angrily.
Rebekah blanched in panic. She rushed to check the tombstone. It was gone.
"Where is it? What have you done with it you double-faced harlot?!"
"What, you think I took it? Why would I still be here if I had?" Elena yelled back, growing incensed.
"All you people ever do is betray me and here you go again!" she bellowed, turning on Stefan.
"I believe her. She didn't take it."
"And how come you suddenly trust her?"
"I don't trust her, but she'd be stupid to lie now, wouldn't she?"
"Just because she happened to save you a scratch doesn't mean she's turned a new leaf!"
"I know that! But she's got a point. She wouldn't be standing here if she had all the cards."
"What about you? You've got all the cards. You've managed to earn my trust. Who's to say you aren't lying to my face?"
Stefan took a step towards her.
"I obviously haven't earned it if you think I took the tombstone. Rebekah, think for a second. I'm in the same situation you are. Shane obviously set out a trap -"
"Oh and you helped him distract me while he ran off with the tombstone, is that it?"
"You think I would do that? You think I would let some psychopath run off with the cure? Every single moment of the last 146 years has been ruled by the pain of being a vampire. And this cure ends that. It ends the guilt and it ends the suffering. And you really think I would jeopardize that?"
Elena stared at him in surprise. She had almost forgotten who Stefan Salvatore was and how much he hated himself. Suddenly, she understood. She understood exactly how he felt. She understood how terrible it was to live with this self-loathing.
"Fine. You didn't take it. That doesn't mean I trust her," Rebekah spat, wiping away the small tears that had gathered at the corners of her eyes.
"Well, you'll have to. You've got no other choice," Elena spoke up. "We're all in the same miserable pot. And we've only got each other left. Bonnie's gone. Shane's got the tombstone. Jeremy's missing. Who knows if Damon's coming back. So, us three, right here, that's the team. Are you in or are you out?"
"So, gang's all here," Shane surmised, looking at a gagged and bound Jeremy Gilbert, Massak, the painted witch, and a startled Bonnie Bennett. "Silas awaits."
"Bonnie!"
"Bonnie!"
"Bonnie, where are you?"
Damon leant against a tree trunk, panting heavily.
He'd called her name so many times his voice was beginning to grow hoarse.
"Bon -"
An arrow suddenly hit him straight between his shoulders.
Before he could pull it out, he was tackled to the ground by an unknown presence.
They wrestled for a good minute, before Damon finally overpowered him and grabbed his head in a vise grip, ready to finish him off.
That's when he noticed the ominous tattoo on his hand.
"You're one of the Five."
That was his mistake.
The hunter pulled himself out of his hold, flipped him over and twisted his neck without hesitation.
Right before he was knocked out, Damon wondered if the stranger could lead him to either Jeremy or Bonnie.