The Aftershock
(Summer Solstice)
5
Okay, I will say this. I know I killed Damon off and I'm sorry okay? But it's dramatic! And as Bonnie would say – romantic. I bet she loved it (secretly). I hope you can forgive me. Where there is a long extract in italic – that is also an extract from the VD: 4, TR. It is the Ouija board thingy. I've just changed it slightly so it fits this situation. If anybody has rest The Visitor, by Pike I think it is then you'll understand why I did that – it's kind of like where peoples roles are reversed. Hope you like this!
Talking To The Dead
Bonnie bent down next to Damon. The charge had worn off and he was no longer twitching like earlier. His eyes were staring at her, unblinking, and he had a smile on his face that made Bonnie smile back.
"I love you too," she whispered, bending down to kiss him on the lips. She prayed that there was still some electricity left in his body to kill her too. She really didn't know how she could move on without him. "I'll love you till the end of time," sadly, she pulled away. She guessed she had to survive in this cruel world without him. Damon was too strong to let anything happen to her, and it wasn't fair that he was gone.
Stefan crawled up to them, the sides of his mouth jerking as he trembled. "No…" he breathed, sucking in a deep breath. Bonnie shut Damon's eyes and turned away, standing up and walking back to the car – leaving Stefan alone with his brother.
"No," Stefan repeated, his breath catching in his throat as he let out a sob. He felt the sick rising in his throat as he looked down at his older brother, charred and smoking from the shock. It was just like last time… except he'd survived it then.
"No…" Stefan bent his head and cried, burying his face in his brother's shirt, absolutely traumatised. How could anything this bad happen? How? Maybe Matt had been right… what was the point? If the world is so evil then what's the point in fighting it if someone's always going to die?
"Damon," Stefan whispered.
"I still can't believe he's gone," Caroline said quietly, shaking her head and shutting her eyes. "He was so much more alive than other people."
"His flame burned brighter," said Meredith. Her voice was soft but intense, and it seemed to Bonnie that those words described Damon better than anything she'd ever heard.
"There were times when I hated him, but I could never ignore him," Matt admitted, his blue eyes narrowed in memory. "He wasn't a person you could ignore."
"I still can't believe he's really gone." Caroline repeated. "Sometimes I feel as if he's somewhere near."
"Oh, so do I," said Bonnie, distracted. The others gazed at her silently.
At last Caroline said hesitantly, with the faintest catch in her voice, "Do you think… do you think you could contact him?" It was what they'd all been wondering. Bonnie looked towards Meredith. She met Bonnie's eyes seriously.
"I don't know," Bonnie said slowly. "I don't want to go into a trance and open myself up to whatever else might be out there, that's for sure."
"Is that the only way to communicate with dead people? What about a Ouija board or something? My parents have a Ouija board," Caroline said a little too loudly. Suddenly the hushed, low-key mood was broken and an indefinable tension filled the air. Everyone sat up straighter and looked at each other with speculation.
"Would it work?" Meredith said to Bonnie.
"Should we?" Caroline wondered aloud.
"Do we dare? That's really the question," Meredith said. Once again Bonnie found everyone looking at her. She hesitated a final instant, and then shrugged. Excitement was stirring in her stomach.
"Why not?" she said. "What have we got to lose?"
Caroline turned to Matt. "Matt, there's a closet at the bottom of the stairs. The Ouija board should be inside, on the top shelf with a bunch of other games." Matt was already out of the door before Bonnie had opened her mouth to object.
When they were all gathered around the coffee table, with several lights turned off for effect, Bonnie put her fingers lightly on the small plastic planchette. She'd only ever used the Ouija board once – when contacting Elena. It made it eerie to think that Elena was actually alive out there somewhere.
"We all have to be touching it, Matt this is new to you – so…"
"Whatever," and Bonnie watched as he obeyed. She looked down at their hands on the piece of plastic. Meredith's fingers were long and slender and Caroline's nails were painted burnished copper.
"Now we close our eyes and concentrate," Bonnie said softly. There were little hisses of anticipation as the others obeyed; the atmosphere was getting to all of them.
"Think of Damon. Picture him. If he's out there, we want to draw him here." The big room was silent. In the dark behind her closed lids Bonnie saw dark straight hair with rainbows shining in the strands and eyes as dark as the night sky. "Come on, Damon," she whispered. "Talk to me."
The planchette began to move. None of them could be guiding it; they were all applying pressure from different points. Nevertheless, the little triangle of plastic was sliding smoothly, confidently. Bonnie kept her eyes shut until it stopped and then looked. The planchette was pointing to the word Yes
Matt gave something like a soft sob. Bonnie looked at the others. Caroline was breathing fast, green eyes narrowed. Meredith looked pale. They all expected her to know what to do.
"Keep concentrating," Bonnie told them. She felt unready and a little stupid addressing the empty air directly. But she was the expert; she had to do it. "Is that you, Damon?" she said.
The planchette made a little circle and returned to Yes. Suddenly Bonnie's heart was beating so hard she was afraid it would shake her fingers. The plastic underneath her fingers felt different, electrified almost, as if some supernatural energy was flowing through it. She no longer felt stupid. Tears came to her eyes, and she could see Matt's eyes were glistening too. Meredith nodded at her.
"How can we be sure?" Matt was saying, loudly, suspiciously – wiping his tears. Matt doesn't feel it after all, Bonnie realised; he doesn't sense anything I do. Physically speaking, he's an unbeliever. "Say something only Damon would know,"
The planchette was moving again, touching letters now, so quickly that Meredith barely had time to spell out the message. Even without punctuation it was clear.
I TOLD YOU I ONLY KILLED TANNER BECAUSE HE HURT ME FIRST REMEMBER it said.
"That's Damon, all right," Meredith said dryly.
"Damon, I'm just so glad…" Bonnie's throat locked up and she tried again.
BONNIE STOP SNIVELLING there was a pause, then it read: DONT BE STUPID JUST GET ON WITH IT
And that was Damon too. Bonnie sniffed and went on. "I had a dream about you last night." The others looked up at her in surprise and stared at her as if she had three heads. Suddenly everything seemed like déjà vu, and reminded them (all except Matt) of the time they'd called Elena. Why hadn't Bonnie said about this dream? Meredith glanced up and saw her friend was blushing.
THE DAY AFTER THE SUMMER SOLSTICE IN YOUR ROOM
"Yes." Bonnie replied, giggling. It wasn't exactly a dream – just a memory being replayed as she slept. Her heart was thudding faster than ever. "I miss you Damon, I – I love you…"
I LOVE YOU TOO
Matt sniggered and suddenly the planchette nearly tore out of his grasp.
DONT LAUGH AT ME MATT OR ILL MAKE YOUR LIFE HELL
The plastic span about furiously. Matt gulped and regained composure, staring silently at the board.
Bonnie took a deep breath. "Damon, do you remember the last time? W-When we talked to Elena on this thing and then you and Stefan came?"
Yes
"There's no danger anymore is there? I mean, Klaus that is."
There was a pause before the board started spelling out something else.
TYLERS A PUSH OVER HELL NEVER HURT YOU ANYMORE KLAUS IS DEAD
"Dead? But he killed you and then…"
HE KILLED HIMSELF TOO THERES NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT ANYMORE
"Damon?"
Yes"Can't you do what Elena did? You know – come back to life?"
MAYBE
"Then we can be together and –"
BONNIE NO IM DEAD I SHOULDNT HAVE SAID OTHERWISE
"But…"
NO BUTS BONNIE IVE WANTED TO BE DEAD FOR A LONG TIME ITS HARD BEING A VAMPIRE I LIKE IT HERE ITS WHAT IVE ALWAYS WANTED
"Damon!" Bonnie let out a heart-wrenching cry, tears falling down her cheeks. She looked around and saw the others were crying too, Matt was almost as bad as her.
IM SORRY BONNIE I DO LOVE YOU AND YOU GUYS ARE ALL MY FRIENDS BUT I DONT WANT TO BE ALIVE ANYMORE IVE SEEN SO MANY CENTURIES UNDERSTAND THAT
"You wouldn't even give it up for Bonnie? If you truly love her Damon then you would stay with her!" Matt cried, furiously. "Damon, listen, you ditched us once before, remember? The night of the Solstice? Don't make the same mistake again, please!"
There was a pause before Damon replied. Bonnie could almost imagine him sigh as he used the letters on the board to reply.
YOURE RIGHT ELENA HAS ONLY SOME OF HER POWERS LEFT BUT SHE DOESNT KNOW IT SHE NEEDS TO BE HERE AND
"Great! We'll do the summoning spell and…"
YOU NEED HAIR AND BLOOD BONNIE REMEMBER MAYBE YOUD BETTER SUMMON STEFAN AND GET HIM TO BRING HER
Bonnie nodded. She still had Damon's blood on that tissue upstairs and maybe if she went to the boarding house then…
"Wait! Tyler's car! When he came back and they put him in that mental hospital he left his car with Dick! There's bound to be some of Stefan's hair in the trunk!" Caroline cried.
"W-What?" Bonnie stammered.
"Remember when we came back from Florence, Tyler was sent to the mental hospital after Alaric's approval. Tyler gave his car to Dick, who keeps it locked up in his garage for when Tyler gets out (which he won't). Don't you see? When Tyler captured us he put us in the back seat and Stefan in the trunk so then maybe…"
"Of course!" Matt cried.
LOOK THATS ALL IM SAYING
Bonnie looked down at the board with tears in her eyes. "I love you Damon, see you soon!" she laughed, happily.
SEE YOU SOON BONNIE
Bonnie grabbed the tissue from upstairs, picking it out from her chest at the end of her bed. She flung on her coat as the others scrambled outside, heading for Dick's house, excitedly.
It was late when they got there, the sun had only just been setting when they'd left Caroline's house, and now it was pitch black. They hadn't realised how fast time had gone, and when they arrived Matt clambered the drain pipe and stuck his face up to Dick's bedroom window.
"He's asleep!" he hissed, climbing back down to them. Caroline nodded and punched the button on the right hand side of the garage door and it slid upwards slowly, revealing Tyler's car. Fortunately, the trunk was facing them, and Matt walked up to it and opened it up. Meredith handed over a torch she'd absentmindedly picked up, and Matt shone it inside.
The black lining shone out clearly and there were some hairs, not a lot, but some. Matt picked them up carefully and dropped them in Bonnie's tissue. He shut the trunk and stepped backwards and Caroline locked the garage up. All four were quiet – waiting to hear whether the family were stirring inside.
Neither asked one another why Dick would be asleep at this time - just because he was eighteen didn't mean he necessarily had to stay awake till late. Because it was summer, days were longer and it only darkened at around nine or ten o'clock. Dick's parents were up, but thankfully neither his mum or dad heard.
"That's it then! Let's get out of here!" Matt whispered, and they made their way back to Bonnie's house.
"Swift on the heel thou comest,
Thrice summoned by my spell,
Thrice troubled by my burning,
Come to me without delay." Bonnie read aloud three times. Matt frowned and looked about the room impatiently. Caroline nudged him. If his mind wandered then they'd never bring Stefan or Elena back. But Matt couldn't help thinking that Druid's loved threes. Everything went in threes.
The four concentrated while Bonnie performed the spell and with baited breath, they waited for the candle to melt down to the pin.
"Stefan are you okay? You've been acting strange ever since-" Elena began, putting her hand on Stefan's shoulder. He bowed his head and turned away, sighing.
"I miss Damon, that's all." He shrugged, walking up to the window. Elena nodded and looked around. She wondered for the hundredth time why Stefan bothered to stay here. So much pain had happened here. Katherine had 'died' here, Stefan and Damon both had died - Damon twice. Why did Stefan still refuse to leave? Why?
"Me and Damon stood at this window. I think it was only a few weeks ago… h-he told me that I should 'relax and join the winning side' but then twice he got me out of trouble. He was good, Elena, he tried to be evil but he really wasn't. He was my brother and now… and now he's gone." Stefan's voice broke and bowed his head and even then, even when he felt so sick and tired of feeling like this he couldn't cry, couldn't even form one measly tear.
Suddenly he froze and he recognised the feeling that was sweeping over him. It brought back even more memories – of the day where Damon was at the window peeling an orange and teasing Stefan at how he'd got Rachael, the student. How Stefan had immediately got through to Bonnie's thoughts and Damon had stared at him as if he were an alien. Stefan had been talking to himself right in front of him, talking both aloud and in his mind.
Bonnie was on the other end and she was talking excitedly.
Finally! Stefan don't talk it's important. Damon told me to get you, for you to bring Elena…
Damon? But Damon's –
I know, I know! But Stefan he can come back, like Elena-
The link that had held the two cemented together even across the miles of ocean faded. Stefan blinked and looked up at Elena, his mouth wide open, his body shaking.
"What is it?" Elena asked, latched onto his side, immediately. Stefan suddenly found the words in his throat and he looked up at Elena, his green eyes widened in hope.
"It's Damon… I- Elena pack your bags." Stefan smiled, hugging her encouragingly. "We're going back to Fells Church."
"Did you talk to Stefan?" Matt asked excitedly. Bonnie nodded and sat up, smiling triumphantly.
"Did you tell him to bring Elena?" Meredith asked. Bonnie nodded again and did a pirouette. Caroline frowned. "But how do we know he's coming?"
"Did you mention Damon?" Matt narrowed his eyes at the dancing girl.
"Of course I did!" she shrieked, happily. Matt shrugged. "Then he's coming,"
