Dancing with Your Ghost – Part II
Never got the chance
To say a last goodbye
I gotta move on
But it hurts to try
How do I love
How do I love again?
How do I trust
How do I trust again?
I stay up all night
Tell myself I'm alright
Baby, you're just harder to see than most
I put the record on
Wait 'til I hear our song
Every night I'm dancing with your ghost
Every night I'm dancing with your ghost
.
Bonnie gaped at her. It was surreal. This was a woman she, under normal, non-supernatural circumstances, wouldn't ever know; yet Bonnie had had now two encounters with…once when she possessed her, and this moment now. The resemblance was clear; the mossy green of her eyes, the smooth latte colour of her skin and the underlying power that emulated from her.
"Emily…"
"I've come to deliver a message. From Damon." She explained softly.
Bonnie's heart raced. "Is he okay?"
"Yes…for now. But he needs your help."
.
One Week Ago:
Damon was finding himself getting pulled further and further away from Bonnie as the days continued, and he hadn't seen Emily since that day in the maze. He was starting to wonder if it was a figment of his imagination. He didn't know what to do; his brother was barely hanging on by a thread, and he was worried as to what lengths Bonnie would go to, to bring him back…and if it was even possible.
He didn't have to wait long though, because among his wandering around the boarding house, Emily appeared to him. "Where the hell have you been, Emily? You can't just drop a bomb on me like that and disappear." He chastised.
She didn't waste any time. "This place is falling apart, Damon. It wasn't supposed to exist in the first place…and now it's crumbling." She explained sadly.
"How are you even here right now? I haven't seen a single person since I got here."
"There's a hole; a tear in the veil. Its why time escapes you, it's how I was able to find you. In Bonnie's despair, she channeled her ancestral lineage. Our magic is what created this place; it's woven into its very fabric. I came to tell you that there is a way out." She stated with hope.
Damon's eyes widened. "I can go back?"
"Yes. But you have to stay grounded here until you do."
"And how do I do that?" He asked uncertainly.
Emily smiled kindly. "That's why I'm here."
.
Willoughby, OH
Katherine looked around her, with a smirk and a little shake of her head. She did it. She made it out by the skin of her teeth…like always. She had a horseshoe up her ass, that was for sure. She and Nadia had bounced around for a little while before finally settling in this cozy little town, and for the first time in centuries, she felt like she could finally breathe.
Her daughter was still getting used to acclimating to this new world, so Katherine spent the day in town alone. With a skip in her step, she smiled at the older lady leaving the coffee shop, holding the door for her before walking in. She found herself blending in nicely here; besides the fact that most of the locals were under her compulsion; it was easy being nice to people that had no idea you were an evil monster.
When she got her coffee, she slipped into a corner booth, and watched the people in the window as they passed. Only minutes had passed before someone slipped in across from her. "Silas…what took you so long?" Surprise was evident on her face, but she crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat. "I was wondering what happened to you."
His eyes darted around indifferently. "Yeah, well, you didn't really stick around to find out did you."
She huffed a laugh. "I told you, I'm a survivor. I didn't get that way by sticking around for the grand finale. I like to dart out during intermission and beat the traffic."
His lips curled in a bitter smirk. "Yeah, you got what you wanted didn't you. And look at you…" he gestured to her. "You're thriving! You have your daughter, and this cute little life in this charming little town. A blank slate. Must be nice."
"Hey I held up my end of our deal." She stared, raising her hands in surrender. "I don't owe you anything. And you look like you're doing just fine yourself with this rugged, man on a mission look you have going on." She gestured to him with a flick of her wrist. "Please tell me you killed that annoying little witch."
He ignored her, leaning forward conspiringly. "Say, I have a question for you…did you know that Damon would die?" He pinned her with narrowed, curious eyes.
"Excuse me?" Katherine blinked, taken off guard.
"I'm curious…did you know?" he pried.
She immediately got defensive. "That was his decision, not mine." She sobered slightly, swallowing thickly. "But yes." She mumbled.
"How?"
She heaved a heavy sigh. "Because I knew Damon. Because he loved her too much to let her make that choice herself. I knew the second I grabbed him that night." She added, glancing down at the table. It was probably something that would haunt her for the rest of her life…but she could live with it knowing she got what she had sacrificed so much for.
"Hm." He hummed. "Yet you did it anyways." He looked at her, his expression unreadable.
"I had to. You left me no choice! I had to get my daughter back."
"Lot of good that did you…" he mumbled back cryptically.
"What are you talking about?"
"You know Katherine…I don't know why I'm surprised. I guess a part of me had to find out for myself…if you had any remorse, or regret…guilt. But since the moment I met you, all you ever cared about is yourself." He finished harshly. It was this moment when Katherine realized who was sitting across from her, and made a move to stand. Stefan was too quick for her, and grabbed her arm in his tight grip. "Sit. Down." He ground out, before getting comfortable in his seat, pulling her coffee towards him, adding cream and sugar and stirring it casually. "To answer your question, Bonnie is still very much alive, and Silas is very, very dead. You should have been there…he was begging for his life. So much for a fearless ancient witch." He sipped her coffee, humming his approval. "And since then, Bonnie and I have been on a bit of a revenge mission…to kill you."
Katherine forced a tense smile, trying to keep a brave face. "I assume that's why you're here? So where is the little Bennett bitch?"
"Oh, this was a solo trip. See, I thought killing you would be too easy. That would be justice…revenge, now that lasts." There was a tense pause before Stefan continued with a vicious smirk. "So I killed your daughter."
Katherine's breath hitched. "What? No…" Fear shot through her and her eyes blinked behind tears.
"Don't believe me?" He reached into his jacket pocket and dropped her bloodied daylight necklace on the table.
The tears slipped down her cheeks unchecked, as she tried desperately to hold it together. "Why?" She whispered brokenly.
He frowned darkly. "Why? Why? Because you killed my brother, Katherine! Damon! A man you claimed to love once." He leaned forward over the surface intimidatingly. "I did it because you don't deserve to be happy. You don't get to walk away from this unscathed."
She steeled up her resolve. "Then kill me, Stefan. Put me out of my misery once and for all." She was practically begging him.
He chuckled. "No. See that's the revenge part. You get to live with it; you get to hold that pain with you wherever you go. So, this is what you're going to do…you're going to run away, and never come back. You're never going to come back to Mystic Falls, you aren't even going to think about it, because you'll be too busy looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life. One day, we're going to come for you, and you better be sure we never find you…because what we did to Silas, is only a fraction of what we have planned for you." She tipped her chin up defiantly. "You called my bluff once already, Katherine…you really want to call it again?" He held her stare intensely.
In seconds, she was up and out of the coffee shop in a blur, quicker than anyone could see, and only then, was Stefan able to breathe a sigh of relief.
…
Bonnie worked tirelessly on honing Silas' magic long enough to channel it into dropping the veil. She had returned to Mystic Falls, hoping the comfort of home was enough to build the connection. With Emily's help, Bonnie spent hours in the forest practicing, focusing on Damon and drawing him closer.
"He's near." Emily started, looking out into the distance. "I can feel him. Keep going."
Bonnie continued her whispered chanting, feeling the power ripple through her. "Damon?" she called out to him, her eyes closed.
On the other side, Damon pushed against the whipping wind, the leaves blowing around him. He was close…he could feel her. Damon? Her voice rang through from above, like a guiding goddess. "Bonnie!" He yelled back. Come home to me. He started to run towards the sound of her voice until he saw it; the tear in the veil in the distance. Relief filled him as he pushed on, but suddenly he was stopped in his tracks, a force knocking him off his feet and dragging his body across from the forest floor. Grasping at roots and dirt, Damon fought against it desperately, until a hand reached out and caught him. Glancing up, he saw Emily, holding onto him for dear life. She pulled him back to his feet, and they braced themselves against a tree.
"You have to go now, Damon…this place is coming undone!" She yelled over the wind.
"What about you?" He questioned with concern.
"I fulfilled my purpose here." He shot her a sympathetic look. "I've been dead for a long time. I got a second chance to set you back on your path…I've done that now. I'll find my peace." She smiled. She placed her hand on his chest and closed her eyes, and her magic sent him flying backwards toward the tear in the veil.
The last thing Damon saw was a light engulfing her before everything went black.
…
Bonnie opened her eyes and looked around; there was nothing. No sign of Emily, not a trace of any one in sight. Releasing a heavy sigh, Bonnie's shoulders slumped. She failed. Wiping the tears that tracked her cheeks, she shakily started to collect her things, packing them with frustration as she stood. She took two steps before stopping and spinning around at the feeling that warmed her body. Through the fog, she saw a figure and her heart raced in her chest as it came closer. "Damon…" she walked towards it hesitantly before his face became clear, then she broke out in a sprint. "Damon!" He was running towards her too now, and before he knew it, Bonnie was in his arms clutching him tightly. "You're really here?"
"I'm here…I'm here." He buried his face in her shoulder, her scent enveloping him, her touch igniting him. Her tears soaked his shirt, and his fingers tunneled through her hair as he held her close.
Bonnie pulled back, looking him over as if to reassure herself that he was real, and Damon caressed her face adoringly. "Where's Emily?"
He swallowed tightly. "She found peace. She saved me, Bonnie."
She pulled him into another tight hug, and he breathed her in deeply, relishing in having her back in his arms.
…
Elena poked her head in Stefan's room, watching him unpack his bag. He'd been tracking Katherine for the last week, and only returned the day before. She had hoped when he came back, there would be a change in him…that he'd have found the relief he was looking for, but the look on his hardened face told her he hadn't. "Hey…" he didn't respond. "Bonnie's here."
Stefan didn't meet her eyes. "Not really in the mood for company, Elena."
She walked further in, standing beside him. "She has some news…Stefan, please. Come downstairs." He sighed, and she smiled encouragingly, grabbing his hand and leading him down to the living room.
As they walked in, Stefan tiredly acknowledged her. "Hey Bonnie, now's not really a good time, okay, so can we talk later?"
Damon stood from the couch, turning around to face his brother with a smirk. "I think you'll want to clear your schedule for this, brother." His smirk softened to a reassuring smile when Stefan's face looked on stunned. He walked around the sofa to stand in front of him. "This is real, Stefan…I'm back."
Damon almost stumbled back when Stefan grabbed him in a desperate hug, his fingers digging into his back. "Oof…easy brother. Still getting use to this back from the dead thing."
Stefan pulled back in awe, then looked to Elena and Bonnie who were smiling happily with tears in their eyes. "How?"
Damon clapped him on the shoulder. "It's long story…I'll tell you over a drink."
The girls watched as the two brothers walked off into the parlor room, and Elena turned to Bonnie with a curious frown. "There's something different about him…"
Bonnie nodded, her mossy green eyes pooling with tears of joy. "He's human."
…
Three Months Later:
Bonnie woke to the sound of music playing from the living room, and the smell of breakfast in the kitchen. This was how every day for the last three months had started and yet, it was still surreal to her. With a languid stretch, Bonnie rolled out of bed, slipping Damon's t-shirt over her head and padded barefoot through the loft to find him.
She walked up behind him at the stove, slipping her arms around his waist and pressing a kiss to his bare back. "Morning." She mumbled.
He chuckled. She wasn't much of a morning person he'd come to realize. "Good morning…you hungry?" She nodded against his back. He turned off the elements, and moved the pans off the heat before turning in her arms and kissing her soundly. "Mm. Big day today…you ready?"
She scrunched her nose. "Can't we just run away and elope? You know I'm not into the big theatrics." She tipped her head up to look at him as he lovingly brushed her hair from her face.
"Well, I think Caroline would kill you, but you know I'll do whatever you want." He swayed gentle to the music, with her in his arms. "I'm completely at your mercy, Bonnie Bennett."
She smiled happily at him. "I won't be Bonnie Bennett for long."
…
AN: And we are finally at the end of this saga! Thank you so much to everyone that stuck through it, even if it was a big of a rollercoaster. We finished on a happy note! This story really took off from where I originally planned it, I only meant for it to be a 4- or 5-part fic, but here we are 16 chapters later. lol I'll likely break this out into its own story so it's easier to find. I have another few stories already written or started so I'll be back soon.
Please feel free to message me your song requests if you have any, and I'll dedicate the chapter to you. 😊 Thanks again for all your support, and I can't wait to hear what you think. - Vanessa
