I'M BACK!

And you have NO idea how glad I am about that. I know it's been a while – even longer than I thought, because I've had this stupid writers block for this story as I came back from my trip – but now I'm back, and I can finally start with the last few parts of this story. I guess there will be between four and six chapter left.

Now: THANKS to all my reviewers, and EXTRA thanks to my lovely beta AVECIA (who's even better in real life than I imagined). Thanks you, I couldn't do this without you.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything 'bout TVD, just messing with them for my own, twisted fun.

On with it!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

The boarding house was eerily silent, even though it wasn't even ten O'clock yet – but somehow, everyone seemed to be stuck in silence.

Katherine and Elena had fallen asleep at one point, still lying on Damon's bed, facing each other, as if they just closed their eyes in mid-conversation. Jenna and Alaric were both sitting in the kitchen, staring into their coffee cups as if they held the answers to all the big questions in the universe, while most of the others still had their noses buried in old books.

Bonnie though, was sitting outside on the back lawn, gazing up into the stars, looking like she was buried underneath a load way too heavy for her.

She was soon joined by (a still slightly limping) Damon. For a few minutes they sat there, lost in their own thoughts, not making a sound.

Then he sighed and lifted his right arm in a silent invitation. Not needing to be told twice, Bonnie scooted closer and snuggled into the one armed embrace of her friend.

A few years back, nobody had thought that something like this might be even remotely possible – yet now not only could they spend time in companionable silence (read: NOT trying to rip each other's throat out – literally, in Damon's case) but they also did it out of their own free will, enjoying it, even.

But many things had happened since then; things that had turned their whole lives upside down.

And now, moments like this, were what they needed to keep their sanity intact. Just sitting, not talking – but still knowing that the other was around. Because there was no one else who knew quite as well how they had felt, back when Elena was gone.

But now it wasn't the pain of missing a loved one that was the problem. Now it was the guilt that was weighing her down – guilt that most likely it's her fault that, again, there were problems too big for any of them to handle on the horizon. All because she had acted on an impulse, acted on the simple wish to have her best friend back. It's not that she wasn't glad that Elena wasn't six feet under, feeding the worms. But Damon had said it, even while she was doing the spell. Dead things should stay dead. But she hadn't listened. She had been successful with bringing her friend back, but in the same instance, she also gave Damon a heartbeat and the need to breath and she enabled the enraged, mad spirit of a powerful witch with a way back into the world of the living.

The bad thing wasn't even that it had happened like this – what really got to her, was the fact that, even with everything she knew now, she would do it all over again.

Because never in her life had something hurt so much as loosing Elena – and being partially at fault for it. And never did something feel so good, as the joy as she realized that it had worked, that she had brought her back.

And that was the whole problem. Even with all the things happening right now, she couldn't quite bring herself to regret a single thing.

"You know, sitting out here and brooding yourself into a stupor, isn't going to help you a single bit. Leave that to my brother – he's way better at it. It's not as if you knew this was going to happen."

Bonnie had to laugh, then. It was as if he was reading her mind.

"Well, no, I didn't. But if I remember right – and believe me, I do –you warned me about the consequences of spells like this. Of the consequences that messing with death usually brings.

I just didn't want to listen. And look what we got out of it. A vengeful witch and nothing but trouble."

Damon was silent for a moment, as if contemplating his answer, even though she knew that he knew what he was going to say anyway. But she bit her tongue and played along like she always did.

"Sure. But we also have Elena – way tougher than she used to be. I say there's no use losing your head over this right now. You can do that once we've run out of options. For now I say you just use your brain to help find a solution.

Find a way to send her back where she came from – or just simply kill her. Or maybe… I don't know, maybe there is a way to make her into the person she once was. I mean, it's not like she was always like this. Snarky, bitchy and a little too proud, yes, no doubt. But she also always wanted to protect the humans, not … drench the streets in their blood or something equally demented.

There has to be some part of her that's still like that."

She had listened closely to what he had to say. Mostly, if he took his time thinking something through, there was at least some good advice to be found in his words. And she was glad she had listened, because it kind of made sense. Of course she hadn't always been like this. What people did to her, had made her into that.

Giving his shoulder one last squeeze – letting him know that she appreciated his help; appreciated him being the friend he was – she got up, and went back inside.

Damon stayed behind, turning his gaze to the dark woods, blackness so impenetrable that not even his eyes could break it.

A cold shudder run down his spine all of a sudden and he wondered if the words he had spoken only minutes before were true. He wasn't going to blame Bonnie for this newest disaster. But it was true then, and it still rang true: never mess with things beyond the grave.

He got up abruptly and, too, went back into the house, not bothering to glance back into the night.

It held nothing but shadows and questions. Shadows too thick for him find his way through, and questions with no answers anywhere in sight.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

As Damon went to his room hours later, the two women were still on the bed but only one of them was still asleep.

Katherine was sitting with her back to the headboard, leafing through one of the books he had left on his bedside table earlier. Elena was still very much asleep, nearly not visible under a heap of blankets and pillows – what he actually could see, was ridiculously adorable.

He had the feeling that she wouldn't like to be called that, but that's something she had to live with, especially looking like that.

Right now though, Elena was asleep, and Katherine was drilling holes through his skull with the glance she was throwing his way.

"Right… care to tell me what I've done wrong to deserve a look like that? Or are you just pissed that you don't have her to yourself anymore? Poor little Katherine, left on the sidelines, all alone."

Usually, he would know that it wasn't a good idea to try to make her angry, but he had had one of the worst days in his life today, and he needed to blow off some steam.

But against his hope, she wasn't already jumping up, trying to rip him apart– instead she just sat there staring at him.

As he started to think that she wouldn't answer him at all, or in any way, she tipped her head to the side and smiled.

She bloody smiled!

"See, that's the difference between you and me, Damon. I know that, no matter what, she won't forget about me. It may be that her time is preoccupied with other things every once in a while, but she sure as hell will always remember to have time for me. And I know that, without a single ounce of doubt. Whereas you will always be unsure. You always knew that she had been with Stefan first – that once upon a time, she came near to hating you. Tell me, has she said those three little words already? Did she tell you that she loves you? That she is in love with you? Or are you still waiting for that… after all these years, still waiting?"

She had gotten up, and was closer with every sentence she spoke, the smile turning into a malevolent grin as she went.

"Poor little Damon, still waiting to be loved."

With that, she went out of the room, closing the door very carefully.

Yeah, usually he knew better then to raise her hackles. Bitch hadn't changed a bit.

"I would fake sympathy, but it's not as if you didn't know that the results to your words would be unpleasant."

Well, not really asleep, then. He could have lived without her hearing Katherine's words.

"That being said… you shouldn't take her too serious. At least, not when she's pissed, and trying to hurt you. She can be quite mean if she wants to be."

He lifted one eyebrow at that because, really? She can be quite mean? Understatement of the century. But he let it go because whatever history he and Katherine had, it was quite obvious that the woman had a soft spot for Elena, and therefore treated her different from… well, anyone else there is.

"I know that. No worries there."

As he made his way to his bed, he left a trail of clothing behind, and by the time he reached it, the only thing he was wearing was his boxers.

Despite the fact that he spent most of the day in bed, he was still dead tired; drawn out as if he had been running a marathon.

Sinking into the sheets beside her, he pulled her close, holding her to him as if he intended to never let go again.

His nose buried in her neck, he breathed in deeply and finally relaxed. Being here, with her in his arms, felt like heaven and home.

"Hey, what is it with you? You seem awfully quiet tonight. Don't tell me what she said really got to you."

Sighing he turned, so he was lying on his back, with her head cushioned on his chest.

"Not exactly, no. It's just… what she said kind of… rang true. Everyone can see that the two of you are close. You've been travelling around with her for years now, never growing tired of her company. And it's nice to have you here now, to be allowed to be with you but… how long will that last? When will you start to grow tired of me? I love you, Elena. I have for years now. And I know that I can't force you to feel the same - I wouldn't want to. I…."

He was interrupted by Elena, pressing her lips to his. She lifted her head up, and was looking down at him, eyes soft, and a gentle smile on her lips.

"Have you been here these last few days? Or better yet, do you remember that you have been the only person I've been in contact with, all this time? I needed time away, time to get a grasp on everything that has changed with me. But I never once stopped thinking about you. I. Love. You. Don't let anybody tell you differently."

He would have said something to that, really, he would. It just seemed way more important to kiss her, to draw her close.

So he let his actions speak for himself as he turned them around again, and got rid of the rest of their clothes.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

The glass she had been holding, shattered in her hand, the red wine mingling with the blood that dripped out of a few glass cuts.

How dare they? They should be cowering under their covers, like little children afraid of the dark. Now that they knew that they were up against her, they should be trying to find a way out of their mess. Try to run or hide, or even come to her and plead! But instead, they were having nice, heartfelt conversations, and a roll in the hay.

The nerve! But oh, how they will regret this, once she was ready to strike.

She turned around on her heels, the broken glass making crunching noises under her shoes, and strolled deeper into the house. Her first few steps were marked by little droplets of blood, but soon they stopped falling, as the wounds healed, not even leaving a scar.

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A/N: Right, so I know this has been a little bit shorter than the last few chapters, but as I already said, I had problems with getting into the story again, after this one of a break. BUT, I really do believe that the next chapters will come easier to me again. Now, I'm done for today, and it's your turn: just click on the little button below and tell me what you think. Reviews are love, people!

So long,

Zora