A/N: Tyler has a problem that leads him home. Stefan is thinking of a place to call home in California but ends up with another destination in mind, with another traveler. Bonnie comes across some old photos, while her daughter may be up to no good. Sorry for any mistakes! Enjoy!
Chapter 6
New York City, New York. Tyler's Loft.
The knock at the door echoes through the loft. A hand upraises as it slams on the coffee table sitting in the center of the living room. A groan escapes his lips trying to focus his blurry gaze. Tyler doesn't remember going to sleep on the floor. He hardly recalls what he did last night. His body is now in an upright position, while his fingers are rubbing his temples. "One minute," he announces to whoever is currently causing the throbbing in his head.
Finally as he stands on his feet he walks to the door, unlocking it before it swings open to show a familiar face. "Ty? Are you okay man?"
Dan's eyeing his friend and notices how tired and beaten up he looks. "I was fine until you came banging on my door like the feds."
"We have been calling you? Serena was about to send out a search party. Luckily Blair thought we should check here before that."
"What's the big deal? I talked to you guys yesterday." He didn't understand why they were so worried. They could go a few hours without spending time together, hell they could go a day without talking.
"Yesterday?" Tyler could see that Dan was stunned with his answer. "Dude we haven't see or spoken to you in three days. You've been missing work causing Dave to worry about you."
"That's not possible. I remember talking to you yesterday." The hybrid could feel something dropping in the pit of his stomach.
"That was three days ago." Trying to put the pieces together, his mind kept drawing blanks. "What is that smell? When's the last time you showered?" Tyler had been so consumed attempting to reminisce that he barely notices his friend pushing past him and into the loft. Closing the door behind him he turns around back to his loft and could see his friend frozen.
Sheets of paper lay around his loft. Some strung from the ceiling, others posted across his walls, and a few spread across the floor. The sketches had taken over his entire apartment.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Dan gazes around the room walking through sketches and picking some off the floor. "This doesn't look like the loft of a sane person."
"I don't remember drawing these." Glancing at the pictures and picking a few off the floor, Tyler was unaware of what was happening to him.
"So you've been locked up here for days drawing. Tyler I think your brain has snapped." Picking up the rest of the pictures, Tyler doesn't know why he would draw these. He damn sure doesn't know why he would lock his self away from his friends to do it. He could barely come across anything he had done in the last few days. The most recent day he remembered was going out with Dan and Nate.
"Can you tell Dave I'll be in to talk to him later? I have to get myself together." Dan nodded giving his friend whatever he needed.
"If you need anything Tyler let me know."
"Thanks." His friend's moving towards the door when he stops him once more time.
"Oh and please don't tell anyone about this."He motions to the images around him. "I don't want people thinking I'm crazy."
"No problem man."
Qwqwqwqwqwwqwqwqwqwqwq
The entire day has been Tyler going around to let everyone know he is indeed okay. He tells them that he hadn't felt well and he apologizes for not letting anyone know. His friends are forgiving but his manager is not. Tyler understands and he knows Dave feels bad about it but there is nothing else he can do. He accepts that he has lost his job because of his absences and no calls.
He sits in his living looking at the pile of drawings he has collected from his apartment. He doesn't begin to understand how he can lose days of his life and not remember anything. A part of him thinks his supernatural side may have taking over but he can't taste blood on his lips or the feeling of satisfaction he would get after running around aimlessly as a wolf. Something is off and he just can't quite put his finger on it.
Lately he had been coming up blank on a few of his activities and sleeping more than usual. He just wrote it off as stress, but maybe there was something more happening. He had gone through all the sketches and nothing had come across. Grabbing the first page of the stack he notices for the first time what the sign says in the back ground. Quickly looking through the next few, he can see the same sign in each. Most further away some closer. Picking up his cell phone he scrolls until he finds her name.
There are a few rings before someone picks up. "Sweetie. How are you? How's the painting going?"
Talking to his mother lightens the mood a bit for him. The steady questions she asks have given him something to momentarily distract from his current problem. "Hi Mom. I'm doing okay. Paintings are going okay, how are you?"
"Good. I just wish I could see more of my son. He doesn't call for months or doesn't come and visit." Tyler feels a bit ashamed that he has strayed from his mother. She's all the family he has left and he loves her more than anything. When he left home so long ago, he had promised he would keep in touch. And to a certain degree he has. He even sends her some of his paintings.
Looking back down at the picture in his hands he thinks maybe its time to change that. "You know I was thinking I could come home for a while. Spend some time with my mom. Get some rest and relaxation from a busy city life."
"I would love that. You know you're always welcome home sweetie." He smiles feeling the warmth of his mother's words through the phone. He continues talking to his mom but the words on the signs in the pictures never leaves his mind. Welcome to Mystic Falls.
Los Angeles, California.
"Thanks again for coming with me." Caroline sips her Guava smoothie then replies to him.
"It's no problem Stefan. It's not like I have any other friends." She states sarcastically. "Besides I wanted to stop by a store up here anyway." Stefan had decided to see if there were any places for him to stay. He didn't want to burden Caroline with his presence and while she was against the idea of him moving out Stefan thought he needed to find some place to call his own. "So you didn't like anything."
"Everything's fine. I just. I don't know if California's the place for me. Everyone's so tan. Have you seen me? I'd stick out like a sore thumb."
"I do just fine." She points out to the vampire, oblivious that she has been living here.
"I don't know. It's just not…" he stops and she already knows where he is heading.
"It's not home."
"Yeah. And it's not like I want to spend all my time there. I want to see the world and travel. Who wouldn't? But at the end of the trip you just kind of want to go back home and its only one place I can ever really call home."
"You've been thinking about this lately huh?"
"I know it's weird to just have it pop up but I miss it."
"You don't have anyone there Stefan. Why do you want to spend all this time alone? You have friends here. You have me." He knew she must be lonely in that big house all by herself but this just didn't feel like home to him. Usually he would wait a few years before going back but what was the harm in going there earlier.
"You're always welcome to come with me. I know you miss it." Caroline shakes her head but it doesn't convince Stefan.
"I don't know. I don't have good memories there."
"I think I have more bad memories there than you but its home. And I love it. My only little space on this earth where I can be completely myself with the people I care about." He can see that she is actually fully thinking about it. It would be great if she said she would go, though if she said no, he wouldn't be mad. When some people left home they stayed gone.
"Okay let's do it." Turning to him a bright smile is plastered on her face.
"Are you serious?" the disbelief comes pouring out of his voice.
"Yeah why not, it's not like I'm leaving anyone important behind here."
"No seriously." They had now been standing in the middle of the sidewalk as people passed them by.
Furrowing her eyebrows she spoke, "You don't want me to go with you?"
"It's not that? It's just. You know what screw it. Caroline Forbes, will you go with me back home?" his hands are outreached waiting for her hands to take hold of them.
"Why Stefan Salvatore I don't see any other options." Laughing, the two head back to the Forbes Estate, getting ready for their cross country road trip.
Shenandoah, Louisiana. Bennett Residence.
Abbie walks into the kitchen after a long day and detects her daughter sitting at the dinner table in front of her lap top. Resting the grocery bag on the island, it awakens her daughter to her presence. "I didn't know you'd be back so soon."
"Yeah I changed my mind about a few things to do tonight so here I am." Beginning to put the item up her daughters silence concerns her. "Is there something wrong? You've been starting at the computer intently."
"It's Dad. He sent me an email talking about how the festival is coming up and he would like to meet his granddaughter."
"Okay so what's the problem?"
"I haven't been back to Mystic Falls since I left."
"You aren't going back to stay. Just to visit your dad and let him met your daughter."
"I know it doesn't seem like a big deal."
"I can understand you not wanting to go back but, and this is just my opinion, I think you should let Lea meet her granddad. She doesn't have a lot of male role models in her life and it'd be great if she just had one." Bonnie could understand where her mother was coming from. She had been lucky enough to have her Grams. But she also had Mr. Gilbert in her life. He was like family to her and she was lucky to have him in her life.
"Lea has never met anyone from back home except Ty. I never even talk about home."
"At the end of the day Bonnie it's up to you. I think she should at least see where she comes from. I mean our whole line of family originates from there, from Emily to you. I'm not saying stay. Just let her know of her history." Bonnie had taken everything into consideration.
"I guess we are going back to Mystic Falls." Not sounding so sure of herself, she sees her mother smile and grabs a yogurt before heading out the back door. A few seconds later she can hear Lucy and Lea entering. Standing in the hall her daughter runs to her arm and gives her mother the tightest hug.
"How was school today sweetie?"
"Good." Lea places her book bag on the floor. "Haley invited me to a sleepover this weekend. Can I go?"
"Of course. I have to make sure I talk to Haley' Mom first."
"The invitations in my backpack, I'm going to go play." Lea hurries up the stairs as Bonnie faces Lucy.
"She's very hyper."
"She's a child, Bon. They are like that naturally."
"Yeah they are, even more so when they have sugar." Lucy can tell her cousin has figured something out.
"Fine I bought her some skittles. I didn't know it would make her that powered. Besides how can I say no to my favorite niece?" Shaking her head, Bonnie understands. "Well I have to go to the magic shop. I'll call later to see what's for dinner.
Going through her daughter's bag, she finds the invitation. The Haley girl had always been nice to her daughter. Lea had trouble making friends but not with Haley. It all came so easy. The witch was grateful because she had plenty of friends growing up, before things went to shit.
Placing the young Bennett's book bag in the closet, Bonnie can hear the pitter patter of her feet above her head. The sound of a crash alarms Bonnie making the woman rush towards the noise. She sees that Lea's in her room where the closet is open and stuff has fallen out. "Lea what are you doing in my room."
"Sorry. I was looking for a pair of shoes to wear while playing dress up."
"Next time you need to ask me okay."
"Yes Mommy. I'm sorry." Lea runs out of her room and Bonnie crosses her legs as she looks at the mess on her floor. Taking note of the box she grabs it and sees only a few things have dropped out. She grabs the Polaroid's and suddenly she can feel her heart exploding.
There was a reason she had kept her keepsake box as far away from sight as possible. All the memories she wanted to put away and forget, they went into this box. It was mostly filled with things from Mystic Falls, but a few of them were from recent years. There were pictures of her Grams, Matt and Tyler, Caroline and Elena, Damon and him. She didn't want to say his name. Because it would dredge up pain she has kept deep inside of her for a long time now. The photo in her hand was of him and her. She remembers the day well; it was one of the best days of her existence. This was a time in her life where she was happy about everything. She had the perfect boyfriend, was finishing college, starting a new relationship with her mother, and becoming better with her magic.
They had been out the whole day. He had taken her for breakfast at her favorite restaurant. Then followed by a séance with a few witches she had gotten to meet. While the night took them along to a Fair where she had beat him at everything. It was the day she had finally told him she loved him. And he had said the same to her. That was until he eventually broke her heart to the point that it was still in pieces till this day. Her mother had been right. He was the reason she didn't date.
She knew it was pathetic. He left her. Why couldn't she move on? It only took her until recently to get back in the dating field. She figured if she couldn't have him at least she could keep the memories. Those she could have. Flipping the picture over there were words scribbled in her handwriting. Bonnie & Stefan '10.
qwqwwqwqwqwww
Lea closes the door behind her as she pulls the rolled up film out of her mother's shoe. Unfolding it she tries to place a name to each person in the film. She only knows two, her mommy and her Uncle Ty. The other six she has no idea who they are. "I have what you asked for, but I don't know any of these people?"
A breeze passes through her ear as if someone is talking to her. "If they are so important to Mommy why doesn't she talk about any of them?"
Lea studies the faces. Her mom seems happy. They all seemed happy. "Okay I think I have everything you asked for. What's next?"
A/N: Something's calling for Tyler to go home. Maybe it's the same thing calling Stefan and Caroline. Bonnie was in love with Stefan. What went wrong? And what is little Lea up to? Until next time. Thanks for reading.