…

Bonnie took a deep breath and concentrated on the magic that was still somewhere within her. She began mumbling a long forgotten spell, now remembered, and she focused all her energy on Enzo.

He was still trying to hang on, still staring up at her, but his eyelids were fluttering more and more and the struggle got visibly harder for him.

Someone had called an ambulance already, but they wouldn't be here for a while and it didn't look good.

Elena was trying to help, but she couldn't do much, either. All the knowledge she really had was more theoretical than anything after all.

Besides, she was too upset and distracted by the fact that, clearly, her father had known Enzo. And she understood all too well what that inferred.

...

Bonnie had zoned out almost completely. She knew it was on her to save Enzo. For the second time today, the love of her life lay dead or dying in her arms and she was starting to feel a strong anger creep up inside of her.

She shook her head, forcing herself to let go of it. Not now. She'd have to deal with it later. She needed to concentrate. She kept humming the spell, over and over.

She had to be careful, though. If she let her powers get out of control again, she'd have to pay for it dearly. She'd have to pay with her own death, she could feel it. And while she was honestly ready and willing to die for Enzo, (though fuck fate if it treated her like that), she couldn't be sure that her death wouldn't also mean his.

That couldn't happen.

...

"Bonnie."

No. It couldn't be… Bonnie opened her eyes to see her grandmother, just like she remembered her. She must have slipped onto a psychic plane.

"Oh Grams," she whispered as the old woman wrapped her up in her warm arms. Her scent smelled like home to her granddaughter, and she allowed herself to bathe in it for a brief moment.

"Grams, I could really use your help. Enzo…"

"Oh my child. A vampire? You of all people chose a vampire to be the love of your life?"

Bonnie stared at her grandma, slightly embarrassed and exasperated. "Well, if it makes you feel better, I didn't exactly plan on falling in love with him. But thanks for your concern." She pouted. She couldn't help it.

Grams' warm smile didn't reach her until the old woman tipped her grandchild's chin up with her extended index finger. "I'm not judging you, Bonnie. You would be surprised just how much I understand you. Love knows no boundaries after all…"

A sense of urgency suddenly washed over Bonnie again. There was no time for idle chatter.

"Grams, he's not a vampire anymore. He's human. And he's bleeding out. I need to stop the blood flow somehow. I need to-"

"Oh sweetheart. But you already did all you could. He'll survive."

Bonnie suddenly noticed how her real hand and Grams' slightly translucent spirit manifestation's hands were intertwined and both resting on Enzo's open wound. He appeared to be unconscious but breathing, and the red stain wasn't growing much anymore.

Bonnie felt a strange calm come over her. She closed her eyes, then looked back at Grams.

"Why didn't you come back?" She asked, a new sadness washing over her. "I mean, so many others did. Why not you? I just… what happened, Grams? Did I do all this?"

"You don't know?" Grams smiled again. "Oh my sweet sweet Bonnie… of course this was all you. It was your grief that caused a psychic blast to be led out into the world and that created this plane right here. Since this is all tied to you, it affects the people that you hold dear in the real life plane as well. Your very own beliefs and wishes played a role in bringing about this change. You never liked vampires. So now your friends - and the friends of your friends - are no longer vampires. That is… if they were in the vicinity of your psychic blast's shockwave."

Mystic Falls, Bonnie realized.

Then her Grams continued, a sympathetic smile on her face. "People returned from the dead because you opened a way for them."

"But…" She didn't really know what to say or how to feel about this.

"Me?" Grams said, and her smile saddened ever so slightly. "I'm a witch, Bonnie. And I chose not to return. Please don't cry, my child. I will always be there for you. But this thing could be more danger than blessing in the long run, and while I know you didn't mean to create it, you caused a shift in the cosmic and magical balance and I chose to stay behind for the time when you may need my help to mend it."

Bonnie closed her eyes. She clung to her grandmother. She needed more answers. She had so many questions. And what she had just heard left her with a strange feeling of doom, which scared her. Most of all, she needed her Grams, no matter on which plane of existence.

But when she opened her eyes again, Grams was gone and Bonnie had already left the other plane to be back with Enzo and her friends at the Mystic Grill.

Just in time for the paramedics to arrive…

...

A few days later

...

It was an awfully bright day. Caroline kept adjusting her cool sixties' style sunglasses for the hundredth time as she was sitting on the bench, waiting for Elena to show up.

She checked the time. Again. Checked her messages. Nothing.

Finally, she saw Damon's car swerve dangerously close to the curb and a moment later, a flushed looking Elena showed up by her side. She slumped down next to the blonde and let out a loud sigh.

"So sorry, Care, Damon…"

"Just had to ravage you one more time before you could come to meet me?"

"Care!"

It was kind of cute how Elena would still get a little embarrassed by someone alluding to her sex life, even after all that she'd been through.

"Anyways. I hope it was good. So, can we talk about Alaric and Jo for a second? I mean, you and Damon are still all happy peachy picture perfect, right?"

"Uh, ya," Elena made, a little worried about her friend's sudden mood change.

"Good, because I don't want to be a shitty friend and not listen to your problems - or your happiness - right now, but I really really need us to focus on the mess that is my life!"

Caroline suddenly started to cry. Alarmed, Elena hugged her friend tightly, "Oh Care! I'm so sorry, it must be so tough for you."

Obviously, Elena hadn't actually been there for any of it. She had been so horribly out of the loop upon her arrival and it still bothered her more than she'd allowed herself to let on. Over three years of sleep would do that to a person.

Of course everyone had been more than understanding and they didn't tire to fill her in on anything and everything that she had missed, but for some reason she still felt like she had let them down somehow by being absent from their lives during such a crucial time.

There was, first and foremost, Damon, who had struggled so much without her there - even though of course he acted as if it all was nothing and didn't really matter. But she knew better.

There were Caroline and Stefan - and Alaric and the twins. Now Jo… it was all a jumbled mess of relationships.

And Bonnie. Her best friend. It pained Elena to think that she hadn't been there for any of Bonnie's major life changes. Getting with Enzo! She'd have never seen that one coming. Or the loss and then reawakening of her magic, her psychic powers. Or the time she'd been a huntress.

Even now she couldn't be there for Bonnie as much as she wanted because she simply couldn't choose a side in that awkward new constellation with her dad and Enzo. Elena was still too upset to talk with her dad much about it, but the day would come.

Right now, though, Caroline needed her. And Elena was glad that for once she could be there for someone.

"It's just," Caroline finally sobbed, "you know, I knew we were never a real couple or anything. I mean, Stefan and I…" she didn't finish that thought. "But after being pregnant for 38 goshdarn weeks and getting siphoned off of and almost dying because of it and feeling like a ginormous fat whale… After the horrible and exhausting and beautiful newborn months and then seeing them grow into two walking, talking little persons, I don't know, I just feel like I am their mom, and I can't just happily step aside now and make room for Jo. I know it's nobody's fault. And she doesn't deserve any of it, but somewhere deep down I almost hate that she is back."

Caroline touched her mouth in shock. "Oh gosh, I didn't mean to say that, I really don't actually think..." She faltered horrified at herself. "Elena…"

"It's okay, Care, I understand." Her friend looked at her warmly, but Caroline didn't feel much better.

"I'm a horrible person," she stated, and hung her head.

"Care…"

"No, really. I am. You know, let me be absolutely honest for a moment. And when I'm done, I'd completely understand it if you decided to unfriend me."

Elena raised both eyebrows before she interrupted her friend, "I won't do that, Caroline. We've been friends through so much by now, and I totally get why you're struggling with this."

The other girl stood up, and huffed. She ran a hand through her hair, then stared at Elena, sadly. "Well, let's wait till after I'm done. You can always change your mind then. I wouldn't blame you."

Elena followed Caroline up and started walking with her a little. They were at the park, it was a nice sunny day. There weren't many people out yet, but mostly because it was still pretty early. They walked in silence for a while and Elena almost started thinking that Caroline had changed her mind, when she heard her quietly clear her throat.

"Have you seen Bonnie lately?"

"Uh… no, not really, unfortunately. You know, with my dad and Enzo… things are a little, um, tense at the moment. Plus, now that we're all human, it seems that he's only very slowly getting better and…" Elena laughed a nervous laugh, "she seems a little bit overprotective of him."

She expected Caroline to join her laughter and joke about Bonnie being such a "mother hen," but the girl merely nodded her head.

"Ya, that's understandable… - well, anyways. Bonnie… she's my best friend." She looked over to Elena, and halted. "I mean, you are, too, obviously. But…"

Elena smiled. "But I haven't exactly been very available during the last three years. I get it. Don't worry."

Caroline gave her a quick hug. Her gaze said more than any words could have.

"Anyways. You know, that whole blast thing that she did and that woke you up and made all of us humans again and brought back our dead and all that?"

"It's pretty amazing, isn't it?"

Caroline looked at her for a long moment, contemplating.

Elena started feeling a little worried and uncomfortable. "Isn't it?" She repeated, feeling a little dumb.

"See, and that's where I show you my inner selfish asshole: I so hate it! I hate it with a passion and I feel like she got everyone what they always wanted. You got Damon back and your parents, Alaric got Jo. Matt got his sister and his best friend. And Caroline Forbes? Caroline Forbes got nothing. I'm no longer a vampire. I lost all my awesome hyper-aware senses, my super-human speed, my immortality. I lost my kids and Alaric. I kind of also lost Stefan, because he's on a trip to find redemption and I can't help him and he won't let me be there for him either."

She gave Elena an eyeroll, then continued.

"Instead, stupid Valerie is traveling around with him, compelling all his un-compelled victims. Valerie! Ugh! - And Jo already moved in with Alaric and they're such a disgustingly sweet and picture perfect happy family that I want to puke! Suddenly I feel like the unloved and unwanted step aunt to my own children. Because, guess what, they aren't mine! And I know they aren't and they never truly were. Yet they were to me! They are mine just as much as theirs. They're…"

She trailed off for a moment, but Elena knew to wait and not say anything yet.

Caroline glanced over to her, maybe to gage her reaction. Then she continued,

"And as if that wasn't enough, I also didn't get my mom back because by some stupid witch or magic logic, apparently cancer doesn't count as something that can be reversed. My life is a nightmare right now. Bonnie's glorious psychic blast made everyone's lives better, she is living her dream, in a vampire free Mystic Falls; but she ruined her best friend's life, she ruined my life. I feel like everything is in shambles, Elena! And I kinda really really hate Bonnie for it right now."

The two girls exchanged a long glance. Elena's features had softened into a sad frown, and Caroline looked at her expectantly.

"So," she said, "do you think you can still be my friend?"

This one is for you, shadowdancer! Thanks for your feedback!