"How?!" Elena perked up, hope burning through her veins.
"Apparently, there's a witch on the other side that is willing to help Damon," Jeremy said, turning his gaze from the chair to Elena.
"Really?" Elena asked, genuinely a little surprised.
"He says you don't have to sound so shocked," Jeremy translated, shrugging at Elena in subtle agreement with Damon.
"Sorry, you just don't have the best reputation with witches," Elena defended.
Jeremy watched the chair intently, listening to Damon, "He doesn't, but you do. It's Bonnie's gram's."
"Bonnie's gram's." Elena repeated, letting the words settle over her. She was still coming to terms with her luck. Not many people ever get to the chance to regain the person that they had lost. Eventually, she got over the shock and was ready for action, "How do we do it?"
"There's a spell that Bonnie's gram's is trying to find right now that creates a temporary tear in the veil between the Other Side and here. After that, it's a push-pull kind of thing. Bonnie will pull Damon from this plain and Bonnie's gram's will push him from her side. He should just be able to slide on through." Jeremy explained to Elena what Damon explained to him.
Elena nodded in comprehension. She turned her head to the chair, subconsciously expecting to see Damon's electric cobalt eyes flirtatiously watching her the way that they have been for two years, but when she only saw emptiness, Elena felt a stab of pain reach her heart. She quickly detracted her eyes from the chair, obviously upset.
"Just because you can't see him doesn't mean that he's not here," Jeremy said, noticing Elena's subtle change in emotions. Elena made eye-contact with Jeremy and shook her head in disagreement. Her body language made it seem like she was fine, but the hurt of Damon's loss was still apparent in her eyes.
"It's not the same, Jer," Elena explained.
Suddenly, she felt a sudden breeze rush over her body. Elena looked at the chair where Damon supposedly sat and Jeremy followed her eye line.
"He's not there anymore, he's here," Jeremy clarified, pointing at the spot right next to Elena on the couch. Elena quickly whipped her head around to where he was pointing—she knew that it sounded crazy, but she could swear that she felt Damon's movement.
Just then, she felt the light pressure of what-seemed-like a hand caressing her cheek. It was almost unnoticeable, like a small tickle. But that didn't matter, Elena knew that touch: it was Damon. Elena shut her eyes tightly. A tear escaped the corner of her eye and trickled down her cheek, shimmering like a single crystal in the light.
Jeremy watched the scene unfold. It was apparent to even the most ignorant of people that Damon and Elena loved each other deeply and unconditionally. No matter how much Jeremy disapproved of Damon as a person, he saw how Damon made Elena happy, and how Elena was genuinely depressed without Damon; Jeremy couldn't bring himself to protest something that Elena obviously needed—Damon.
"When can we do the spell?" Elena suddenly asked, desperation reignited in her by Damon's ghostly touch.
"As soon as Bonnie's gram's gets the spell," Jeremy responded, "Damon will come back when they're ready. He says that all you have to do is think about him. Can you do that?"
Elena chuckled at the question.
"The question should be can I stop thinking about him?"
Jeremy's lips twitched up into a small smile at her response.
"Okay," Jeremy said, "Damon says that it could take a while. He'll be back in the morning with an update."
Elena felt a cold emptiness reclaim her senses and she instantly knew that Damon had left. She slowly lowered herself back down to the couch and curled up with a throw pillow under her head. Jeremy brought a blanket over to her and covered her in it, tucking the corners under her body comfortingly. Elena smiled up at him in thanks, but the smile was empty. She wasn't able to put any substance in a smile while the void in her heart was so dominate.
That night Elena dreamt that she was reunited with Damon. He came to her while she was sleeping, waking her softly with a tender kiss on her temple. When she opened her eyes in the dream, she was relieved and breathless as she stared up into his electric blue eyes. But, Elena wasn't as lucky when she woke in actuality.
The first thing that hit Elena was an overwhelming amount of sorrow, but after a moment, Elena began to feel something else. It was almost as though she took caffeine pills because adrenaline now pumped through her body, kindling the flame that had Damon lit inside her. She had only felt that way when she was around one person.
Elena always thought it was impossible to feel a dead person's presence, but with Damon, the impossible became possible.
"Jeremy!" Elena called-out. She heard a fumbling upstairs and then the light pitter-patter of footsteps running down the stairs. Jeremy rushed into the living room with worry in his eyes, but as he took in the scene around him, the worry disappeared.
"Did you get the spell?" Jeremy directed his attention to the fireplace. He paused, waiting for a response, "Great."
"He got it?" Elena asked excitedly. Jeremy nodded in response.
"Bonnie's upstairs now in the shower. Once she gets out, we can start."
Elena decided to call Stefan and have him come to the house, figuring that he'd want to be present for his brother's return to the land of the living. Stefan came unbelievably quickly, obviously eager to get his older brother back.
"Do you think this will work?" Stefan quietly asked Elena who was watching Bonnie set up a little place for her to perform the spell.
"It better," Elena responded; she looked up at Stefan, "Because if it doesn't, we have no more options."
Stefan nodded in comprehension, his eyes displaying signs of concern. Elena could tell that Stefan didn't have complete faith in the plan, but Elena didn't have the luxury to doubt. If she started doubting, she feared that she would break. The only thing that was keeping Elena together was her hope and faith in Bonnie.
"Ready," Bonnie informed the viewers; she made eye-contact with Elena who nodded, giving Bonnie wordless permission to begin the spell. Bonnie nodded back before sitting down on the ground in a small circle of candles. She began the spell.
Bonnie easily got through the first part of the spell, her voice strong and commanding. But, as the spell dragged on, Bonnie was having more and more trouble. Her nose began to bleed as the pressure created by the extensive amount of power weighed down on her body. Yet, she did not falter. She pushed through to the next part of the spell, gritting her teeth to hold back the pain.
Elena watched as her friend struggled and she began to feel anxiety, both for Bonnie's well-being and for Damon's return.
"We've created the tear," Bonnie updated everyone, her voice strained.
She began the next part of the spell—pulling Damon as her gram's pushed him. Bonnie's voice shook with each word, but she kept going, determined to bring Damon back to Elena.
Eventually, Bonnie's voice broke and her head fell to her knees. She was breathing heavily and the candles all flickered out, severing the link. Jeremy rushed over to Bonnie's side and placed his hands tenderly on her shoulders.
"Bonnie?!" Jeremy asked with a fear-filled voice, "Bonnie?!" He repeated.
Bonnie slowly raised her head, but instead of looking at Jeremy, she looked directly at Elena. Her eyes were filled with regret and instantly, Elena's heart sank.
"Di—Did you—?" Elena began, struggling with the words.
"We finished the spell. It should've worked," Bonnie paused, looking around at the faces of Stefan, Elena, and Jeremy, "He should be here."
Elena swallowed, attempting to moisten her dry mouth. She struggled to hold back the tears that began to form again. Elena looked around the room, searching for someone she knew wasn't there.
"Then, where is he?" Elena asked.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed this update! Please review!