A/N: You guys, are amazing, thank you!

Chapter three

Forever to Say Goodbye

"What a sloppy workmanship."

"Now, now, Elsa..."

"I have to agree with Elsa here. That was hardly a great work considering the amount of energy wasted."

"Well, such small things are not something I or you two should worry about. "

"But only two people were raised from the dead."

"Yes, Raymond. But we're talking about the witch and the werewolf."

"Speaking about the witch..."

"I know. My, isn't it amusing..."

Sheila was sitting on the sofa in the living room, with the Grimoire on her lap. She was searching for a spell while her beloved granddaughter was arguing with a certain vampire. Oh, how great it is that dead people don't get a headache.

"I can't believe you!" Bonnie hissed.

"Can I believe you?" he mocked.

"Damon! You can't suspect me! Geez!"

Damon just shrugged.

"Who knows? Maybe you woke up this morning, all depressed over the whole Jeremy thing, and said to yourself, What a lovely day for a little necromancy!"

Bonnie's eyes narrowed.

"I would never do that. Don't you know me at all?"

"You are the only witch around... And it's not my dead grandmother is sitting there reading the Grimoire."

And so on and so on. Sheila had the strong impression that Damon wanted Bonnie's full attention. So he made the most absurd accusation and surprisingly, Bonnie took the bait.

'What's happening between them?' Sheila mused, flipping the pages. 'They act like they are close. That is rather unexpected.'

As far as she could remember, her granddaughter was afraid of vampires. She did her best to hide that fear though it never really worked. But right now Bonnie wasn't scared at all.

"Grams," Bonnie called, "is there a way to uninvite a vampire?"

"No," Sheila answered, fixing her glasses on her nose. "But you can always burn him..."

Damon looked down at her and scowled.

"So lovely of you."

"You having a soft spot for Bonnie — that's lovely."

"He doesn't have a soft spot for me," Bonnie said. "He's just scared of me."

"Well, both possibilities have their appeal."

"Huh, I am so misunderstood."

Bonnie sat down next to Sheila. The little witch looked like a carefree teenager again, the girl she used to be before vampires messed up her life. Damon knew that despite everything she was really happy right now. He also knew it wouldn't last for long.

"Grams, what do you know about the necromancy spells?"

"I know for sure that we're dealing with a powerful witch."

"Sounds like someone I know," Damon said in a sing-song manner.

"That's it, I'm gonna give you an aneurism."

"Fine, I'll be quiet."

He went to the closest wall shelf and (to Bonnie's great displeasure) saw her childhood photos.

Sheila lowered her voice, "It's more than that. Check your watch, the sun should have risen hours ago. The blue fog you two saw is the worst sign. This fog will test everyone."

"What do you mean, Grams?"

"It will make you think of bad things and bring the feeling of unbearable loneliness. There'll be a mass depression, it will take great willpower for humans to remain sane."

"First time I've ever heard of something like that," Damon noted, frowning.

Bonnie lifted her head to look at him and he returned the gaze.

"I'm not surprised," Sheila said. "It's a terrible spell and it takes a lot of energy. The witch will risk her own life. The consequences are dreadful."

"Are you trying to scare us or to give us information? Please, be more specific."

"The necromancy is difficult and dangerous. Not only will it affect the witch but it will affect the place where she's doing her magic. The sun will not rise till the spell is broken. And dead people will obey their puppeteer. If they are told to kill, they would. They would even rip apart someone they used to love."

"Which brings us back to my original question," Damon said heavily. "Why should we trust you? If you were summoned, why are you acting so normal?"

"It's hard to possess the mind and the heart of the witch. Even when she's dead. But then again I haven't heard the call yet. So you have to be careful with me and stop me —"

"No, Grams," Bonnie protested, looking horrified.

"Don't worry, I will," Damon said mildly.

"Here's the potion," Sheila said suddenly, pointing to the page, and only that stopped Bonnie from giving Damon his worst aneurism ever.

"The potion?" Bonnie said, disappointed. "I'd prefer the spell."

"Don't worry, I'll help you out. It's not really difficult."

Bonnie stood up, her eyes full of determination.

"Damon."

"Yes?"

"It's time to gather our team."

Damon was a bit taken aback.

"Wow, you sound like a... Harry Potter."

"I do not!" Bonnie protested.

"We are going to form the DA."

"What's the DA?" she asked, irritably.

"Damon's Army."

Bonnie just glared at him; Damon was a real weirdo lately. Then she smiled.

"You've read Harry Potter, huh?"

"I've read worse than that. Blame Caroline."

"Stop mocking Caroline. Actually, you should support her as a fellow Gone with the Wind fan."

"How do you know that I'm a Gone with the Wind fan?"

"Elena told me. She saw the book in your room."

Damon was silent for a moment. Then he said severely, "Okay, witch. I want to make things clear. I'm not a Gone with the Wind fan. I was just reminiscing. And never again compare me with Caroline. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," she answered and smiled mischievously. "Now, will you go home?"

He looked her in the eyes and said slowly, "I'm staying with you."

"I want everyone to be prepared. And they can help us."

"Why? You and me — we were always the vanguard of Mystic Falls."

Bonnie rolled her eyes impatiently.

"You have to warn Stefan."

"Don't worry, I'll use my cell phone, it's a wonderful invention —"

"You need to make sure that Elena is okay."

There was silence again. Damon knew that Sheila was watching him closely but he didn't give a damn.

"Witch, I'm not leaving. That's final."

He had no idea why Bonnie looked so disappointed. He had the best intentions, after all. Well, at least for now.

"Just give us some time alone," Sheila said quietly.

Damon saw the hopeful look on Bonnie's face and sighed. He didn't like the idea, but...

"I'll go outside."

"Call Caroline!" Bonnie said cheerfully. "And Rick, and..."

"I'll go through my contact list, is it fine?"

He closed the door behind him and looked up at the dark grey sky. No glimpse of the sun, so Sheila told the truth. Guh, he is a vampire, screw the sun.

After Bonnie changed into jeans and a T-shirt she went into the kitchen where Sheila was working on the potion. Bonnie waved the steam cloud away with her hand and wrinkled her nose.

"I hate potions," she said, but she looked excited.

Sheila smiled at her.

"I can tell that you're not really surprised to see me. Or scared, God forbid."

"I'm a witch, Grams. I guess I'm used to it. And I'm very happy to see you again."

Sheila sighed sadly.

"I'm so sorry that my death caused you so much pain and suffering. It was always so hard for you to lose people you love. Since your mother left —"

"I dreamt about you," Bonnie said suddenly, "Almost every day. Sometimes I even forgot that you were dead; I thought of different things I need to tell you. Like you never left. Grams, I love you very much. And I missed you terribly."

"Well... I can't say that I'm fond of necromancy, but I'm happy to be with you, even for a short time."

Bonnie smiled and then remembered something.

"Grams, something strange happened to me tonight. I felt like someone was blocking my power. And then I got knocked out."

"Blocking your power?" Sheila said, worriedly. "How is it possible? Damon mentioned that you possessed the powers of the hundred witches. Do you?"

"Yes! And I don't understand it either. I just had a strange feeling..."

"I don't like it. Once my own powers were blocked by..."

"Okay, I'm sorry to interrupt your Decameron party but we have an emergency here."

Bonnie's head whipped around. Damon was standing in the doorway, watching them.

"Rick is here. He said that the streets of our lovely town are crowded tonight. And people are acting strange."

"Where's he?" Bonnie frowned.

"Outside. Come with me for a moment."

Bonnie followed Damon, leaving Grams to finish the potion. Alaric stood on the porch, gazing forward. Bonnie saw right away what drew his attention: it seemed like the whole ground was now covered with the dark blue fog.

"It's spreading," Damon stated the obvious.

"Bonnie," Rick said in an undertone, "Damon told me that..."

"Yes. It's true."

The creepy silence was broken by the sound, of a car approaching. Damon tilted his head to the side and mumbled, "It's Stef."

"What about Caroline and Tyler?"

"Caroline isn't coming," they heard Tyler's voice and saw young Lockwood approach. "She is with my mom, Matt and Liz."

Bonnie frowned at his tense face.

"Ty —"

"I saw my dad. He was alive and he told me to leave the town."

"Splendid, more family reunions," Damon said, sarcastically.

Stefan's car was already in front of Bonnie's house. With a sinking feeling, Bonnie realized that only Stefan and Elena came; Jeremy didn't.

"Bonnie!" Elena threw her arms around her friend. "I... Oh my God, I can't believe it!"

"Yeah... Come on, everyone, come inside."

"You better count me in," Damon whispered and Stefan chuckled unexpectedly.

Bonnie let Damon and Stefan walk through first and caught at Elena's arm.

"Elena, um... You contacted Jer, right?"

"I called him at the party after you left," Elena said. "He said he went to Richmond early in the morning."

"Richmond? Why?"

"He said that he was gonna meet a friend. Now I keep calling him but there's a voicemail every time."

"I see..."

"He's okay," Elena said, rubbing Bonnie's shoulder.

Bonnie nodded and went back into the living room. Sheila was there; she was filling the glass vials with the potion. Bonnie saw that it was really weird for others to meet her Grams. But no one overreacted.

"This potion will return dead people back to their original state. In other words, it will banish them."

"Can this potion kill humans?" Stefan asked, watching Sheila's movements closely.

"Yes."

"So it's dangerous to use it."

"It's dangerous not to use it."

"But who brought you and my dad back to life?" said Tyler who was pacing nervously.

"We are not alive, Tyler. I may have the same look I had before my death, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm dead. The same goes for your father."

"Where's your father, anyway?" Elena asked.

"He's at home."

"Are you inept?" Damon said. "You have to lock him up, or something."

"Damon," Stefan said in a scolding manner.

"First of all, we need to find the witch, right?" Damon said, looking at Sheila.

"No, we must protect humans first," Stefan argued.

"I agree with Stefan."

"Talk about showing favoritism."

Bonnie wasn't able to follow conversation anymore. She stood up and excused herself to the kitchen. After she came in there the witch sighed and clutched her forehead.

Richmond?

"Worried about Jeremy?"

Bonnie didn't flinch. She found it difficult to escape Damon today.

"I'm kinda relieved," Bonnie answered, without thinking. "He's not in danger..."

She didn't see his face and didn't notice that Damon's eyes flashed as he smirked.

"I agree here. He's pathetic and... weak."

"Excuse me?" Bonnie said, her voice icy.

"Oh come on. You two broke up"

She turned around and stared at him, evidently startled. Damon smiled and whispered in his most dramatic manner, "Just reminding."

"Don't go there," she warned him.

"I think I just did."

"Do you dislike me that much?" Bonnie said, heavily. "Is it about what I did to you? Or about what Emily did to you?"

Damon's smirk faded.

"Hey, cool down!" he said, his voice rising. "No need to get all offended."

She turned her face away from him.

"Fine, let's drop it..."

"I think that you should get over it."

"That's really none of your business."

"Why not? You are not a stranger to me."

She looked past him and Damon felt something close to worry. But he suppressed that feeling at once.

"Now," he smiled and made a step towards her, "be a sweetheart. Tell that all is good between us."

"You wish," Bonnie scowled and moved towards the door, but Damon grabbed her shoulders and looked into her eyes.

"I'll cry."

"I'm not soft-hearted."

He sighed.

"I hate my karma. Always surrounded by the cruel women."

"Serves you right."

"How come every time I try to call a truce, you refuse me?"

"I don't know why you even bother."

"Come again?"

"I mean we fight and fight but work together anyway. No need to be friendly."

"Bonnie," he said, now serious. "I'm sorry. I mean it."

"Great. Let me go."

She pulled herself away from his hands and went to the living room just in time to hear Elena's question, "How can one tell a zombie from a living? I mean, they look the same... Is there a spell or —"

"Using a spell will be troublesome. But you have help of the vampires. They and Tyler, of course, can smell dead people."

"We can go in pairs," Stefan suggested, "It'll be more effective, right?"

"Nice idea," Bonnie said, coming closer. "So... Elena and Stefan, Damon and Alaric, Tyler and me... Is it okay?"

"It's good," Tyler nodded.

"Not good at all," Damon said, "you'll go with me, witch."

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

"Wow, I'm hurt," Alaric smiled.

"Oh, come on, Rick, you're a boring history teacher, what did you expect?" Damon looked down at Bonnie. "Tell me, witch, will we get some equipment? Like the Ghost Busters?"

"The potion will be enough," Sheila answered, half-amused.

"I hope it works."

"You'll see it now."

Damon raised an eyebrow but he realized the meaning of her words, when Bonnie rushed forward to her Grams.

"No! Please, I still need your help!"

"You have help. Look around, your friends are here for you."

"But —"

"Bonnie, I never was and I never will be a soulless toy in someone's arms. And I will never hurt you. I'll make sure of that."

"Please, Grams..." Bonnie pleaded. "Not so soon..."

Sheila gave her a tight hug.

"I love you, dear. Now, step aside."

She took one vial from the table and said softly, "The potion will make me disappear and seal my body and soul. I can't be summoned again. Remember, you need to be careful, all of you."

Bonnie was crying silently and Elena put her arms around her. When Sheila put the vial to her lips, Damon suddenly stepped forward.

"Sheila."

She paused.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry."

Stefan beamed and Elena smiled too. Bonnie angrily rubbed her eyes; she couldn't understand why everyone looked so pleased.

Sheila shook her head, a half-smile on her lips.

"It was not your choice but mine."

"Still, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I have the feeling that we are even now."

She smiled at her granddaughter for the last time and drank the potion. Bonnie closed her eyes, unable to fight back her tears. When she opened her eyes again, Sheila was gone.

TBC