CHAPTER TEN: GEORGIA
Caroline, Bonnie and Enzo arrived in Georgia an three hours after Damon, Matt and Jeremy.
"What took you so long?" Damon asked as he approached the car that just parked beside them.
"Sorry about that but the pregnant Blondie over here decided she wanted to eat a rather large breakfast and then felt that she needed to go to the loo every time we saw one." Enzo said as he got out of the car and approached Damon.
"Alright. First things first. We need a place to stay. We can't just talk out here who knows if someone might over hear us." Bonnie said.
"My dad used to live here with his partner Steven. But ever since dad died.." Caroline said; it still hurt that her father chose to die rather than turn like her, but what's done is done, "he moved to Florida but the house was under my dad's name so Steven told me I could have it if I wanted it. We could stay there." Caroline said.
"Good, now that housing is solved, what's next on the list?" Damon said.
Klaus was in a horrid mood. He had been having visions of his dead father tormenting him as of late. To make matters worse, it was not only he who had been visited by his father, it appears that Elijah and Hayley too had seen his father. It was worse than a nightmare, he thought. The veil truly was crumbling.
"So I hear that you have offered the witches our home as venue for their party." Said his sister who was coming down the stairs.
"Ah. Rebekah. Such a lovely day today, isn't it?" Klaus said. He knew his sister was still pissed with the witch Genevieve for what happened a few weeks back.
"Don't small talk with me Klaus. You let her sully your bed is one thing but having her walk around our home by allowing her to have a party here is a different matter." Rebekah said, who was now standing in front of him.
"Sister. Do not tell me what to do. You are lucky I have forgiven you so easily after what Genevieve had revealed your betrayal with Marcel. I have given you your life and your freedom and yet you remain. I will do as I please and as long as I still have use for the witch, I will oblige her if I feel like it." Klaus said as he now stood face to face with his sister, he loves her he really does, but her hundred year old betrayal still hurts him, "besides, Elijah thinks it's a splendid idea to show the witches we are at peace with them using magic once more." He said, smirking.
"Whatever Klaus, I can tell that disaster is written all over this." Rebekah said as she walked away and out of their home.
Caroline and Bonnie were having breakfast when they heard Jeremy, Matt and Enzo heading down stairs.
As they reached Caroline and Bonnie in the kitchen, they greeted one another before Matt and Jeremy sat down on the table and began to pile their own breakfasts whilst Enzo leaned on the doorway, watching them all.
"Well, isn't this a cozy sight to see. Everyone gathering around for breakfast, like nothing bizarre and life changing, possibly life ending is currently happening." He said as he approached the kitchen island and got himself a glass of tap water.
"Watch it Snarky, its too early for your snarkiness. Shut up and eat something or go away until we're done eating." Caroline said, going back to her breakfast.
"Well, Pregnant Barbie is in an awful mood, what's the matter? Bacon not on par to your crispness standard?" Enzo said.
"Well, let's see, my best friend is stuck in mystic falls which is currently infested with travelers who not only wishes to rid the world of witch magic, but also drain him in the process, not only that but we still have no clue on how to stop that to the point that we had to run away!" Caroline replied, she really was in an awful mood this morning, on top of everything they were currently facing, her first sign of morning sickness also just had to appear that morning! "And my bacon is up to my crispy standard of goodness so lay off okay!" she added.
Surrendering to the pregnant (and seemingly hormonal) blonde, Enzo raised both his hands as a sign of surrender and sat down on the available chair on the table.
"Okay, so let's make a plan then." Enzo said. And with that they began to form a plan, which they will share with the others later.
"Well, well, looks like you're so called friends have abandoned you." Markos said.
"I told them to leave. I won't let you use Elena and I to kill everyone I know and love." Stefan said, he didn't know why, but the travelers seem to just keep draining him of his blood. The spell to reverse witch magic has been cast and is already progressing, what do they need his blood for?
"Yes, well then, I have some good news. I don't need you or Elena anymore." Markos said.
"Then let me go. I don't know why you still need my blood but since you no longer need me, let me go." Stefan said. he knew Markos would never let him go, he also knew that Markos had planned to kill him too.
"I drained you as a last minute precaution, you'll never know when and where I'd be able to find another doppleganger so I'll just take what I can get from the one I have now." Markos said, looking at the buckets of blood he was able to drain from Stefan. "Now that I seem to have enough, I'll show you one last mercy just because I feel like it."
And with that, Stefan vaguely heard a snap and felt a sharp pain on his neck before everything seemed to stop and turn to black.
Bonnie felt a sharp tug in her center and looked behind her, shock, pain, sadness and anger suddenly shadowing her face, "no." she said.
Caroline, Damon and Enzo turned to look at Bonnie with concern. "What's wrong, Bon?" Caroline asked.
"No." Bonnie said, ignoring Caroline as she moved away from the gang and towards the soul she had seen. "Stefan, no." she whispered as she reached him.
"No. No! You take that back Bonnie!" Damon suddenly said, speeding toward the witch, but Enzo and Caroline held him in place. "You can't be dead Stefan!"
"Hey Bon," Stefan said, offering him his signature sad smirk. "I'm sorry."
"Stef, I'm so sorry." Bonnie said, now crying. "I'll find a way to get you back here. I promise. Just try and avoid getting sucked away." Bonnie said, not wanting to reach out to Stefan, knowing he would truly be dead by then.
"I know Bonnie, take care of Caroline and yourself. Tell Elena to take care too and watch over Damon, make sure he won't go waging war on Markos and the travelers, Mystic Falls is no longer safe to return to. The spell has overtaken it. Tell him I love him." Stefan said.
"Okay." Bonnie said still crying, as she now shakily reached out to let Stefan pass. "I'll miss you."
Smiling, Stefan reached to take her hand and said, "I'll miss you too" before disappearing into the other side.
Back at Caroline's house, everyone was silent and gathered in the living room. Seemingly unable to process the fact that Stefan had died.
Caroline, Bonnie, Damon and Enzo had gone to the convenient store to buy some items that they would be using while in Georgia when while packing up their items in the car parking lot; Bonnie felt Stefan's presence.
After Stefan passed through, Damon had immediately left had not been seen since. Deciding that it was best to let him deal with it on his own for now while they deal with their own grief. The trio made their way back home and informed the others of what had happened.
Caroline, eyes red and still brimming with tears finally stood up and said "I can't stay here right now. I need to get out. Get some air."
"I'll come with you." Bonnie said, eyes also as red as Caroline's.
"No. Please just let me be alone for now." Caroline said as she grabbed her jacket and phone and stepped out of the door.
"I'll follow her. Don't worry." Enzo said, he may not have really liked Stefan but he knew how much he meant to everyone in the room, especially his 'best friend' Damon.
Nodding, Bonnie thanked him and sunk back into Jeremy's arms, seeking comfort that would not come.
Enzo headed out to follow Barbie at a distance; giving her, her much needed alone time.
He'd found her. She was a pretty easy little thing to spot. Surrounded by vampires, a hunter and a witch. He unintentionally found her at a diner as he was on his way to Mystic Falls, but he overheard them and followed them here.
At first he doubted that it could be her. From what he heard about her, she was a baby vampire, but as he stood where he was at, he could hear a heart beat coming from her.
No matter, that isn't really an issue, he'd get her soon. Then his plan to rid New Orleans of Originals will finally come to life.
Everything, he thought, was so easy. She will be so easy to take.
"Stop following me, Enzo." Caroline said, knowing that he was trailing behind her.
"Who said I was following you? For all I know, we could just be going in the same direction." Enzo said, still walking behind her with enough distance for them to hear each other.
"I heard you volunteer to follow me. Leave me alone." Caroline said.
"True, but I am still giving you the space you need." Enzo said. No use lying to her if she heard it, right?
Caroline stopped walking then faced Enzo. "He's really gone." She said. Enzo stopped and stared at the blonde, eyes filled with sadness, grief and tears. He came up to her and wiped her tears falling onto her cheek and said, "I know, I'm sorry too."
Then he hugged her and let her cry her pain as much as she could.
Not a single person spoke or made any noise after Caroline and Enzo left. Damon had remained in front of the fire place but soon went out to the back yard, no doubt in anyone's mind that he was about to break a few of the trees in the forest near the backyard; Bonnie had gone upstairs to the room she shared with Caroline to grieve in private however Jeremy followed her while Matt had gone outside to wait for Caroline and Enzo to return.
As Matt headed out, he saw Liv and her brother there.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"We followed you." Liv said, hands in the pocket of her jacket, while she and her brother stood at the foot of the front porch.
"Why the hell would you do that?" Matt said, "It's clear to us that your mission to kill one of our friends is done."
"Our mission was to prevent this from happening. We never wanted Markos or any of the travelers to get their hands on either one of the doppelgangers! It was either keep them from being used or kill them in order to prevent them from being used." Luke said, "Clearly we failed in both."
"Our coven is angry. They want us to find a way to undue the damage, so if you and your friends want to stop any further damage the travelers have caused, and to keep the veil from crumbling down, we need to help each other." Liv said.
"Why should we believe you? You've tried to kill my friends, you tried to turn on us. Give us one good reason to let you join us?" Matt asked.
Snorting, Liv looked at the blond as if he was an idiot, "You need a witch to help cast spells and do magic none of you can. Clearly you've forgotten that. Bonnie can't and there isn't anyone else that can help you that knows what really is going on." She said.
"My brother is dead." Damon said, suddenly appearing on the doorway. As he made his way to the trio, he said if you can find a way to bring him back, and don't just tell me something I want to hear, I need you to tell me that there is a way to bring him back, then we might just let you join us." He said, "What will it be?"
The twins looked at each other as if conversing mentally and then looked at Matt and Damon. "We think there might be a way, but its never been done and we're not exactly sure how this will work, but we have to stop the spell the travelers cast if we want to try." Luke said.
Damon looked at the twins deciding if he should believe them or not. "Not good enough. When you confirm this way of yours, then I'll agree to help you." And with that, he began his way back to the door, indicating to Matt to follow him too.
"Stefan was a good man, he didn't deserve to die the way he did. He was kind to us. If there was a way to help him, we'd do it, but if you won't then the veil will crumble then all hope to save him and everything else we know, will just disappear." Liv said. "We'll be at the first motel you see when you get out of this place."
And with that, the twins went on their way.
Caroline and Enzo found themselves sitting on a swing in a nearby children's park talking about what they remember about Stefan. For some reason, Enzo indulged Caroline on this, even though he knew little about his best friend's younger brother, only hearing about him while the Augustine had experimented him and Damon, but if he could comfort Caroline in this way, he would.
Soon though, Enzo realized it was too late and too dangerous for them to remain where they were "It's getting late, we should head back." he said.
Caroline looked at her watch; it was 2 am already! Sighing, she nodded and said, "You're right. Let's go." Enzo stood up from the swing he was on and helped Caroline up, as soon as they were up on their feet however, Enzo froze and motioned for Caroline to keep quiet.
As soon as Caroline obeyed, she knew something was wrong and in a blur, she vaguely remembered hearing a snapping sound followed by something or someone, dropping on the floor in a thud then the next second an arm had wrapped itself on her body, preventing her from moving her arms while another covered her mouth and nose with a cloth, then everything went black.
AN: Dun Dun Dun! How have you all been?! This is getting pretty adventurous I felt guilty for not posting an update for this story in a while which is why I felt like I should have a lot going on in this chapter, what did you think? I feel like I'm veering away from my Klaroline story, but don't worry, all in good time! :) LOL!
I still hated the ending of TVD's last season so I had difficulty writing this chapter, don't worry though, I think I'll be bringing Stefan back, maybe, I'm not sure yet.
Anyway, how did any of you like this chapter? I think I may have committed some inconsistencies here so if there are any, let me know so that I can adjust the story? :)