Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or anything associated with it, unfortunately.
Thank you so much to all those that followed, favorited, or reviewed my story! I really appreciate you guys.
I'm sorry that this one is kind of short. I'm getting prepared for the coming semester (nursing school, ahh!) and trying to get things in order for preschool so I've not been able to write as much. I will definitely be continuing the story. I have tons of ideas that I write down throughout the day when I think of them. I hope you'll stick with me, even if they take a little longer to come out. Thanks again!
Elena's POV
"I know that it sounds crazy, but if we want to get them back, we have to help Liv get Luke back."
Caroline, Stefan, and Alaric stare at us in shock. Caroline, naturally, is the first to speak.
"It sounds crazy because it is crazy! Elena, are you listening to yourself? If we get Luke back and if he agrees to help us, maybe we can find a way to contact Bonnie and Damon, if they are even still out there. We have no plan to get inside to get Luke without being killed and even less of a plan on how to contact anyone on the other… Other Side, if there even is one."
"Technically, there is no plan that's less than 'no plan'." Enzo says with a smile.
"They're out there." Jeremy says, before I can respond. "I can't explain it, but the other morning I woke up with this feeling, this certainty, that she's still out there. It feels like…" He seems to struggle for a minute. "Almost like my Hunter instincts, but instead of feeling an intense desire to kill vampires, I have a drive to find Bonnie. It led me to Liv. She's out there."
Stefan and Caroline share a telling look. They think we're blinded by grief. Caroline walks over and puts her hand on my arm. I think she means it as a form of comfort but, to me, it just feels patronizing.
"Elena, I know you've been through a lot and I know you miss Damon and Bonnie. I miss her, too, but… maybe we're not supposed to bring them back. This is the second time Bonnie has died. Maybe the universe is trying to show us that they aren't supposed to be here. Maybe… we're just supposed to move on."
I shake my head. "No."
She grabs my shoulders. "Elena! Damon is gone. It's been months! For three and a half months, you've had nightmares and been crying every day, having panic attacks, flinching every time someone says the word 'dead'. You're torturing yourself holding on to this delusion that you can bring them back, but you can't!"
Stefan stands and tries to calm us down but I'm furious now. Before anyone can blink, I smack her hard across the face. She grabs her cheek out of shock more than pain and stares at me in disbelief.
"But it was okay when we brought Bonnie back the first time? And Alaric and Tyler and Stefan? It was okay when you wanted them all to come back, right? Just admit that you don't want Damon to come back. You always hated him and never wasted a minute of opportunity telling me just how much."
She stops for a second and then continues, ignoring the last part of what I said. "That's the whole point, Elena. No matter what we do, no matter how many times we bring them all back, everyone keeps dying. Even if we could bring them back, there is always a price to pay."
"Well, whatever the price is, I'll pay it because I don't care. I'm doing this with or without your help. Any of you."
Stefan puts his hand on my shoulder but I shrug him off, not wanting to be placated.
"Okay, you guys, calm down. We need to think about this." Caroline nods slowly but I just stare at him. "Listen, I think this is worth looking into." The look of outrage on Caroline's face is immediate. She clearly wasn't expecting that. "Elena is right, Caroline. If there is any chance my brother is still out there… if there is any chance Bonnie is out there, we have to try. They sacrificed themselves for us, for all of us. We owe them that. But Caroline is right, too. If we go into this blind, we'll all die. We have to be smart and fast."
The room is silent for a minute.
"We'll have to know where they are and where they are keeping Luke." Alaric says, and I can't help but smile a little knowing he's on board. "I have been experimenting with some new things since I got back. Bonnie's mom used some herbs to mute her magic. If we can get our hands on the ingredients we need, I can rig something up to use so we can get in there safely without having to kill anyone."
"I'll talk to Liv and see what she can figure out." Jeremy says.
"Ask her if there is anything else we can do to protect ourselves. She obviously can't perform protection spells for us, but maybe there is something else. Anything."
The cloud of despair that has followed me everywhere feels like it is starting to lift. We still have a long way to go, but at least we're doing something that will lead us to them. I will see them again.
Damon's POV – Two months ago
"Listen, I know you might be a little out of practice, being dead and all, but it's been a while since you said you would be contacting Little Gilbert and you have yet to do it, so…"
Quetsiyah shoots me a look.
"I might not be able to kill you or hurt you, but I can leave you behind." She stops, I'm guessing for dramatic impact. "I told you that I could contact Jeremy because of my connection to him as one of my hunters. That doesn't mean it will be easy or instantaneous. There are literally thousands upon thousands of other realms and it takes time to sift through them all. Breaking my concentration doesn't help and it certainly doesn't make me want to do you any favors."
I push open the door and walk outside, needing to get away from Crazy Witch. Eternity in this place would be some kind of Hell. Literally. There is nothing to do and I'm stuck here with two of the most selfish and vindictive people out there… and Bonnie. And a bunch of Wanderers who don't seem like they'd be the best company, though I'm starting to consider that they might be more fun than anyone else in the Godforsaken land.
Damon.
I look around. Who said that? It almost sounded like…
No, it has to be Katherine, pulling some kind of prank.
"Hilarious, Katherine. Now, knock it off."
Damon. I miss you.
I look to where the sound is coming from, right at the edge of the forest, There's a light shining, brighter than any light I've seen here so far, whiter, more… pure, but there seems to be no source. I take a couple of steps, trying to stare as deep into the woods as possible. Suddenly, a form steps out from behind a tree.
She's bathed in the mysterious light, brown hair falling in soft curls past her shoulders. Her brown eyes sparkle like they used to when she would look at me and she smiles. She looks radiant. She's here, but how?
Damon, I can help you. Follow me.
All other sound seems to disappear. I can only hear her voice drawing me in. I stand rooted to the spot. I should go tell Bonnie, but I'm afraid if I turn, she'll disappear and I can't lose her again. I take a step and, as I do, she takes one backwards, into the forest. I feel a pull, urging me to go forward to her.
You promised you'd come back to me.
She turns and walks away from me, heading deeper and deeper into the trees. I hesitate until the image of her starts to be obscured by the trees and I panic, the drive to follow intensifying.
"Elena!"
Damon. I hear someone else say… it's not Elena. It's not important.
Damon. I can't think of anything else but going to her. I take a few steps towards the trees.
Damon! I feel a hand on my arm and look over. Bonnie.
"What are you doing?"
I look back into the forest, but nothing is there. The light has vanished and so has she.
"I warned you that the Wanderers would find ways to try and lure you into the forest." Quetsiyah says, not even bothering to open her eyes. She just continues to sit and "sift through" the dimensions. Like channel surfing.
"You didn't tell me they'd pull a Silas and appear as whoever the hell they wanted to."
That gets her to open her eyes.
"Silas was a psychic that allowed you to see what he wanted you to. He was one man. One. How many souls do you think that forest holds after thousands of years of luring people in and binding them there? Notice how there aren't many people out here? They become the things you desire. They will call to you, entrance you, and manipulate you and your longing to leave only makes them work harder to make you stay forever."
"Well, then, how about we move this freak show along?"
Elena's POV
Dear Damon,
It's been 3 months and 17 days since I lost you. Every day is a new challenge. Or maybe that's a lie… every day is trying to overcome the same challenge. And every day, I fail. The further from that day I get, the more detached I feel from the world, from my friends, from my life… from you.
When I became a vampire, I knew I would be frozen in time as an 18 year old… I just didn't realize I would be suspended in grief. You were the one that made me realize immortality was a gift. I thought it would be one we shared. I wasn't supposed to go on without you. You promised me.
The worst part is that I don't know where you are. Are you safe? Are you in pain? Jeremy says he knows that Bonnie is still out there because of some hunter-like feeling he got the other morning. I'm just praying that he's right and that it means you're out there somewhere, too, and that you're not suffering. Sometimes I argue with myself (I know, doesn't that sound like the epitome of mental health?) about where you are, trying to comfort myself into believing that your last act, a sacrifice, somehow meant something… that it had some bearing on where you went. Just knowing that would make me feel better.
Tell Bonnie I miss her. Losing either of you would be hard enough… losing you both has left me broken and I don't know how to put the pieces back together when two of them are missing.
Stefan doesn't talk about you much. Sometimes I hear him upset when he thinks I'm sleeping, but he never mentions it. I think it's affecting him more than he lets on. He feels like he needs to be strong for everyone else, though. You're alike in that way. You were always my strength, my protector from anything and everything... sometimes more than I wanted you to be. I'd give anything to be annoyed at you for taking my choice away, now.
I don't see Jeremy as much now that Mystic Falls is magic-free. When I do see him, he tries to be strong, but I can see in his eyes how much he's hurting. I think this is extra hard on him because, last time this happened with Bonnie, he could still communicate with her. Now, he's just alone. I mean, he still has Matt and me but it's not the same.
Matt is Matt, going on the best he can despite everything that's happened. I think his life has made him into the type of person that can withstand things others can't. I know he was never your favorite person, but he's been here for all of us.
Liz is alive. Alaric told me you helped her when you went back to your body. He told her, too; I could tell it meant a lot to her to hear that. I know she misses you. She was in the hospital for a few weeks but she's back to work. She even nabbed your daylight ring for me. It's the only thing I have left of you.
Caroline has tried to be here for me, but I don't think she knows how to be. When Stefan went off with Klaus and I held on to hope for him, she didn't understand why I couldn't just let him go. Now, she understands even less because I don't think it ever truly sunk in that I love you. You would think after feeling for someone like Klaus, she would be more understanding. I keep hoping she'll come around. After tonight, though, I don't know if she ever will.
Alaric misses you like crazy, even if he doesn't say it in as many words. He holds a spot at the bar for you, like you used to do for him, though it's unfortunately not the same one you used to sit at. That one is gone (but from what Liz said, they are rebuilding the Mystic Grill and, if we can figure out this anti-magic barrier, maybe it will be ready for you when you get back). He mumbles to himself a lot and, sometimes, I think he's talking to you. I heard him say something about leaving him to watch the children… I don't know what that means. It's been hard for him, adjusting to life as a vampire on top of everything else… not being able to go home, losing his best friend. Hopefully, none of us will have to deal with that much longer.
We have searched for so many ways to bring you home but there is only so much we can do without magic. That problem might be resolved. Jeremy found Liv. Tomorrow night, we're going to meet with her and go over our plan to get Luke back. Once we have him, it might take a little bit to get everything in order but I'm not going to give up. We will bring you both back. We will. We have to.
I love you and I plan on telling you that in person in a few weeks. Be prepared because, once I see you again, you're stuck with me forever. I won't ever let you go again.
Love,
Elena
I close my journal and stash it under my mattress. Lame hiding place, but not many people are very interested in what I am writing. For months, since I lost Damon and Bonnie, I stopped writing to an invisible audience and started writing letters to Damon. It gives me hope that, one day, I'll be able to give them to him… show him that I never gave up on him, not even for a second.
I hear footsteps but I keep my back turned, not really up for conversation.
"Elena."
It's Caroline. I turn slightly, but still avoid looking directly at her.
"Can this wait? It's late and we need to get some sleep if we're going to take on these witches tomorrow."
"Sure." She turns and stops. "Actually, no. I need to say this just in case something goes bad tomorrow. I'm sorry, Elena. I'm sorry that I hurt you earlier. It's no secret that Damon wasn't my favorite person. But you love him and he loves you, in his own… way. Stefan said something to me once and it stuck with me. He asked how I would feel if people judged me based solely on who I was attracted to. Obviously, my choice in men wasn't any better… but you never judged me for it. I want to bring Damon and Bonnie back for you, I do. But every time we find a way, we lose it and I have to watch you lose them all over again. I have to lose them all over again and I'm tired to reliving that hurt. I'm tired of fostering grief. But I will do it for you and for Stefan, for Jeremy and Matt. Because I love you guys."
She hugs me and, after a second, I hug her back. I know she means well. Sometimes I get so caught up in the pain that I forget everyone else is hurting, too.
Downstairs, the door opens and I hear Jeremy's voice.
"We have a problem."
"They're doing what?"
"The coven has figured out a way to rid Mystic Falls of the no magic barrier." Liv says.
"And that's a problem why?" I pinch the bridge of my nose.
"Because they're going to kill Luke to do it."
Silence fills the house and, when it becomes clear that no one is going to ask any questions, she continues.
"The spell for the barrier required the blood of doppelgangers. To undo the spell, the spell requires the blood of witches born of the same bloodline."
"Which means they aren't just coming after Luke, but you, too." I say, still trying to understand this.
She nods.
"How do you know all this?"
"I have a friend, a witch, that doesn't agree with what they're doing. She warned me."
"Did she say when?"
"Tomorrow night."
"Did she happen to mention where Luke was being held prisoner?" Enzo says.
She shakes her head and drops her head. I actually feel sorry for her. I know how heartbroken I was when Jeremy was killed. Even though I hate her, I wouldn't wish that on anyone.
"Then we go tonight." I say, already running through my head the ways to go about this.
"Wait!" Caroline says. "You guys, this could be our only shot to get rid of the barrier!"
Liv looks up, incredulous. I can see in her eyes that she's wondering how this is even a side to consider. I have to agree with that.
"Who cares, Caroline? If we lose Luke, we lose all hope of getting Damon and Bonnie back!"
"How about we rescue Luke, bring Damon and Bonnie back, and then turn the Witch Twins back over to their coven to undo the spell?"
Everyone looks at Enzo and he smiles.
"I'm just kidding. Mostly."