...
"And why does this not want to work anyways?" She shoved the TV, angry, and jumped when the screen cracked with an awful sound. She started crying. Nothing was working.
Katherine Pierce had been the most powerful being for one beautiful moment. But now she was a human and while that in itself wasn't so bad, she was not exactly living her happily ever after, either. One good thing she did have, however, and that was Stefan Salvatore. She was just not sure whether that was also enough…
When he came home later that day, tired and dirty after a long day at the auto repair shop that had hired him just a few days after they'd first gotten to the little city, he frowned at the TV and said, "You need to get your aggression under control, Katherine, or this is not gonna work."
She pouted, but he only glared at her and stomped off to the bathroom where she then heard him run the water for a much needed shower.
Later, when he was all cleaned up, and she had calmed down, they both sat down together on the couch, with some leftovers from yesterday's meal.
"I'm sorry about the TV," she mumbled between bites. Usually they liked to watch a show with their dinner, but with the screen as cracked as it was, Stefan hadn't felt much like watching anything. He grumbled in response, then kissed her unexpectedly.
"I know this is hard for you, Katherine. It's not very glamorous. I get it. This town is ridiculously small, so is the apartment…" He trailed off and grew silent.
"I'm adjusting. Okay? I'm trying." She looked at him.
"I know."
"I'm just not used to any of this. It's… - I want to go back to Mystic Falls, Stefan."
He shook his head.
"Not possible," he said, "after what you did? Honestly, Katherine, part of me doesn't even understand why I am with you after everything you put my family through. My friends."
She looked hurt, but it was the truth. They both knew it. There was a strong attraction they had for each other, a pull. But there was also a lot of baggage. A lot.
"They got Elena back, though. And Bonnie's handsome dark prince." She said it in a way that made Stefan scowl at her.
"You'll leave them alone, Katherine. I mean it." Stefan's unhappy expression almost made her laugh. He was always so serious. She missed his more fun personality. She sighed. She was probably the one responsible for that one having vanished.
"Geez, I'm not gonna do anything to anyone, alright? Chill. - How's Damon, anyways? I heard you two talk on the phone last night."
But Stefan only gave her a look in reply, and her pout returned.
...
"Damon…"
It was good to hear Stefan's voice. Just that one word had felt like home.
"Hello brother," Damon sang into the phone, "how's it hangin'?"
There was a pause on the other end, a sigh. "It's alright."
"Well, if that doesn't sound convincing," Damon chirped, but his expression clouded over. "It's her, right? Stef. Come home. Dump that bitch and come back."
"I can't, Damon," his brother said, sounding sad, "I know it's hard to understand. But she…"
Damon interrupted him there. "Actually, I get it. I was part of that wonderful triangle for a long time, remember? And, well, she is a stunner."
He got a chuckle out of the younger for that.
"How is Elena anyway?"
Damon knew his brother was just deferring the attention, away from his troubles with Katherine, but went with it anyway. "She's… getting better every day. Her dad did a number on her, though. I thought ours was bad."
"Ours was bad, Damon."
Damon had to agree. But at least his father hadn't been a secret torture master. Well… not to that same extent, anyways. He licked his lip and looked over to where Elena was sleeping, only her head sticking out from under the heavy blanket. It had gotten a bit cold lately. But mostly, she fought off a cold inside of her. He sighed.
"She's… changed, Stefan. After all the stuff we've had to deal with, I fear this one kind of broke her. I'm… I don't really know how to help her, so…" He paused, contemplating. The idea still sounded a bit foreign to him. What would Stefan think? Then he said it. "I'm gonna do it: I'm gonna propose soon, Stefan."
"Damon, that's…"
"I know. What if she's too traumatized and I don't give her enough time to deal with everything. Maybe she'll say no, because I'm rushing things too much. Maybe-"
"Brother," Stefan stopped him mid-ramble, an obvious grin in his voice. "She won't say no. Give her time, yes. Be there for her. I'm sure she'll be so happy about your proposal, though, no matter what you got planned - or if you got anything planned at all."
"Just something small… I always thought we'd go big, you know."
Damon knew his brother understood. He sighed. He wanted Stefan to be more than a voice on the phone. "Come back, brother."
"Damon…"
"At least for some shots before I become an honest man?" It was as close as Damon would get to outright begging.
"I think I'll be able to do that," Stefan allowed.
Damon smiled.
...
Bonnie was watching over Enzo as he slept. He'd slept a lot in the last few days since he'd come home to her. His body had healed quickly once he was back on a more regular - and filling - diet, with a few exceptions. The scars from when he'd been a human had all stayed, forever branded on his skin, as sole reminders of way worse he'd had to endure.
Yet she kind of found herself unable to look away from them. She had traced the long line on his arm about a thousand times, mostly just in her head, because she didn't dare touch where he'd been torn apart. No, she had to be very careful with him.
Sometimes she wondered why she had always been so off-handed about his torture experience in the past.
She remembered his determination back when she had been the Anchor. How he'd said he would fight until the last minute, until oblivion consumed him, because he'd had endured seventy years of torture, and he hadn't given up because that couldn't have been all fate had in store for him.
In a corner of her mind she now wondered whether part of her was just like Mr. Gilbert. Was she a monster, too, deep down? That hadn't thought of Enzo as a man with feelings, with a real personality, with dreams, before he became her Enzo? Would she have tolerated vampires being tortured if she had never met her peculiar circle of friends?
She shivered at the thought and put a hand on her stomach as little baby Bennett-St. John kicked her a little too ferociously. Between the tiny one's kicks and the stupid Braxton Hicks contractions and all those other annoying discomforts at the end of pregnancy, she couldn't sleep much anymore. Add to that her worry about Enzo, and she was pretty much up all night. Guarding his sleep, while his baby kicked away happily inside of her.
She was tired, though, of course. She took long naps during the day, but they were never enough. She couldn't even begin to imagine what it must have been like for him, being forced to stay awake for months...
He was still catching up on all the lost sleep, and while she was relieved he could finally rest - that he felt comfortable enough with her to allow himself to fall asleep, she was worried for him, because with every new night, he seemed to grow more and more uneasy and agitated during his sleep. As if the dead tiredness was slowly making way to more dreams. And dreams weren't always so good when you had horrors to process…
Bonnie realized she must have dozed off because the quality of light had changed around her and a now familiar haze appeared for a moment, then lifted.
...
"Hello my child." It was her Grams. Bonnie smiled as the old woman approached her and gently put her arms around her.
"It's getting difficult to reach around you." Grams laughed, but then sobered a little.
Bonnie cocked her head, frowning. "What is it, Grams? Anything I need to worry about?"
Grams looked over to where Enzo lay, Bonnie's arm draped around his head. "You already have so much to worry about, my child... - I'm glad you got him back."
"Me too," Bonnie muttered, then sighed. "Whatever it is, I'd rather know."
Grams eyes bore into her, calculating. "It's about this plane you created, Bonnie. With Kai having taken over Arcadius' psychic plane, there was a shift and yours, well, yours turned into the sole counterweight to his 'hell.'"
Bonnie stared at her. "What does that mean? I won't have to work with that piece of shit any more, I hope?"
Grams raised her eyebrows at Bonnie's curse word; always a grandmother. But she didn't say anything about it, just shook her head, "Not exactly," she explained, "But… well, you remember when you were the anchor to the Other Side?"
Her granddaughter nodded.
"Of course…" She already knew where this was headed.
The older woman sighed.
"It'll be different now, Bonnie, because you created that place. You are the one in power there."
"But this will not be just 'my place' anymore, will it?"
"No, child. It won't."
Bonnie sighed.
"Will this affect my baby at all? My… my relationship?"
She couldn't bear to think that maybe she'd have to let Enzo go. She couldn't do that again.
But her Grams started smiling and assured her, "No, Bonnie. Your family will be just fine. You all will be. You will, however, have to save the souls that shouldn't go to hell. With your psychic plane, you created a new Other Side, because this is how the balance works. And you'll be its anchor once more."
Bonnie's throat felt tight.
"Until you yourself pass on and the next generation takes over," Grams continued.
Bonnie's shock was apparent, but her grandmother only looked at her sadly. Did that mean her baby, her child, would have to deal with this one day? No…
"And one more thing. You may not like this, but it's all I could do for you. The last thing I could do…" Her grandmother looked at her strangely gravely. "The risen dead, the ones still here, will have to go on through you. They can't stay here."
Elena's parents, she thought, Jo... And then, with a shock she realized: Enzo…
"But you said my family would be okay," she sputtered, her words blurring. No no no no no.
"Shhhh," Grams made and hugged her, "They will be. This is the deal I could make: Enzo can stay, as long as I'll go on forever."
She smiled, a wide, a peaceful smile. But Bonnie wasn't ready for this. Why couldn't she be completely happy, just once?
"But you are," Grams told her, as if Bonnie had spoken aloud. "I've been gone a long time, Bonnie. It's time. - Your handsome vampire… he's so surprisingly good for you. He makes you happy, I can see that. He will take care of you for me. You won't need me anymore."
"That's not true," Bonnie cried. "I'll still need you!"
Grams shook her head, still smiling. "I love you, Bonnie. But now it's time for a goodbye. Maybe one day we will see each other again. I'll be waiting for you in the beyond."
"Grams. I love you, too."
"Be happy, Bonnie."
With a last gentle embrace, the old woman vanished and Bonnie emerged back into the real world.
...
Her tears, her silent crying and shaking, woke Enzo up, who looked at her, concerned. He sat up next to her, sweeping a strand of her hair out of her face.
"What is it, love?"
She couldn't look at him, but quietly told him everything.
"I'm sorry I woke you up," she cried.
But he simply said, "I'm glad you did. I wouldn't want you to deal with this alone."
Then he held her until the sun rose again, until her tears were dried, until she'd finally fallen asleep; and longer. He held her until she was ready to let go.
...
The cup with coffee was piping hot. Steam rose from it and she found herself hypnotized by the slow rising white wafts. She sighed. For Miranda, the last months had been a rollercoaster. At first, there had been nothing but wonder. She had been back from the dead, how crazy was that? So much had changed. Her children had been so grown, so amazing.
Slowly, other feelings had seeped in, sorrow, regret, despair. She'd always known that Grayson had a side to him he kept hidden from her, even before the resurrection. She hadn't minded too much, because she'd figured it was mostly the vampire hunting business, and that gave her the shivers, so she preferred to silently accept and ignore it. She was glad that there were people out there that dealt with this horror movie threat, but she didn't need to know the details.
Secretly, she'd been excited that her husband was a real hero. What woman didn't love to call a knight in shining armor hers?
But then Elena had forced her to open her eyes to a deeper truth. A dark truth. And while she was more than upset about it, the fact that it had been her own daughter to unearth that secret had hurt her even more.
Parents were supposed to protect their children, to shield them from the evils of the world, and then, when the time came, carefully explain and help them understand and deal with it. She had horribly failed, then. Her kids had known more about it all than she did.
Miranda felt so out of the loop that she didn't think she'd ever be able to continue normally.
She remembered a conversation she'd had with Grayson when Elena was asleep, back when they were already staying at one of the motels. Like in some cheap movie…
…
"Why did you ever make that… that deal with the woman, Gray? Don't you see what this is doing to our family? To our daughter? She's not a child anymore. You - we need to let her go and live her own life," she'd said, every word tinged with unhappiness.
He'd looked at her from where he'd sat opposite her on one of the rusty chairs. His hair had looked ruffled from where he'd run his hands through it so many times. She could tell that this was never what he'd wanted their lives to be, how he'd envisioned his plans to unfold.
"I couldn't stay in that place, Miranda. It was literal hell. You should know; you were there!"
But she honestly didn't remember it all that well. Maybe she'd put up a protective barrier in her mind or something.
"So it was for selfish reasons…" She had finally understood it then. All that talk about doing it for Elena, he had lied to himself, too. It had never been about her. Probably not even back when he had first seen Katherine. And then, when he had spotted that man at the Mystic Grill, Bonnie Bennett's boyfriend, the darkness in him had once more won.
She had implored him to let Elena go, then. She had told him she would stay with him, if only he would let their daughter go. He had looked at her, abhorred by the realization that his wife saw their lives as a hostage situation. But it had been one, though…
At some point, however, it had dawned on her that her husband, that smart man that loved physics and science and who she had always been able to reason with, wouldn't even listen to her anymore. He was beyond reason. So she had told Elena to just go along with it, try to make the best of it, since some invisible ropes held them in place and they couldn't just walk away.
She had despaired. She had given up. She had been a bad mother yet again, because she also retreated from her daughter, leaving Elena to deal with everything her own way. Until one day, Elena had told her there was hope, and she had begged Miranda to please please not give up. She had told her mother that someone was on the way to get them. That Jeremy was involved, too. Then, suddenly, it had all been over.
Now here she sat and it still didn't feel right, or good, and her heart ached too much because Grayson wasn't with her anymore. Because despite everything, she still loved him. Her mind simply didn't want to believe he could have ever tortured anyone. Or that his weird little game with Katherine Pierce could have really just been because he was scared for himself… She didn't want to allow that truth. It couldn't be hers.
Because that simply wasn't the man she had married. It just couldn't be.
So when Bonnie Bennett came to her door one day, Miranda Gilbert was ready.
...
"Hey Bonnie," Elena said and gave her friend a sideways hug. "How's baby Bennett doing in there?"
Bonnie gave her a wary smile. She knew that this visit wouldn't be what Elena thought it was, and she was so very afraid that her friend would not be able to forgive her. Before she could even say anything, she saw Mrs. Gilbert come out of the kitchen, holding onto the doorframe as she paused.
"Hello Bonnie." She smiled.
Elena was now trying to usher Bonnie in, glancing over to her mom. She furrowed her brow. Something seemed to be going on that she wasn't aware of.
"Mom? Are you okay?"
Miranda sighed, but smiled at Elena before turning to Bonnie. "Can I make you girls a tea? I'll be in here," she pointed behind her into the kitchen, "So you can talk in peace and I won't bother you."
"Actually…" Bonnie looked rather unhappy. Elena was worried. Her friend still hadn't entered the house, and she could now see Enzo waiting in the driveway.
"If he wants to come in, too-" she began, but Bonnie interrupted her.
"No, he's… he'd rather just wait. - Elena, I need to talk to you and your mom, both. You're not gonna like it, and I'm sorry."
"Bonnie, you're scaring me." Elena took Bonnie's hand and held it. They both looked at each other, and Elena could see tears form in the other girl's eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Elena. Mrs. Gilbert," she looked over to her friend's mom, "this is not my choice. But there's something I need to tell you."
She explained how she'd become an anchor of sorts again, a portal to a newly established Other Side, and that she was there to guide Miranda Gilbert over. The woman looked strangely at peace.
"What?! No!" Elena was shocked. This wasn't happening. How cruel could fate be to give her back her mother and then take her away again, just like that? After everything that had happened with her dad. Her mother walked over to where she was still standing. The two friends had never even made it farther into the house. They just stood there, by the door, and looked at each other.
"It's alright, Elena," Miranda whispered, smiling, gently stroking her daughter's hair with clumsy hands. "I… I shouldn't be here anymore, anyways."
"What are you even talking about? I need you here, mom-"
"You don't, sweetheart. You've already grieved me once, now it's time to go on with your life. Be happy with Damon. Become a doctor. Follow all your dreams... The world is wide open for you."
Elena started crying. She didn't want to say goodbye again to her mom. If anything good had come of it all, it was that her mom was back with her. She needed her here…
"I can't let you go, mommy," she cried, and felt like a small child again. Miranda took her in her arms, shooting Bonnie a quick glance. The poor girl looked very uncomfortable. She had wrapped her arms around herself as if in protection.
"It's not my world anymore, sweetheart. It's… just not. With your dad, and everything that happened, I don't think I could live with that knowledge anyways."
"I'll have to," Elena whispered, and Miranda's heart broke even more.
"I know, sweetheart. But you're so much stronger than I ever was. You'll get through this. I don't want to be the burden weighing you down." She sighed, lifting herself up to her full height. "I love you, Elena. Please forgive me."
"Mom…"
"Please tell Jeremy I love him, too. I would have liked to tell him myself, but I think it would be too hard for him. Over the phone, and…" she trailed off. It was awfully quiet for a long time.
Eventually, Elena whispered, "I forgive you, mommy, I know it wasn't your fault. None of it was." She cried and smiled at the same time. This really was goodbye. "I love you," she muttered and gave her mom one last kiss on the cheek.
Then Miranda nodded to Bonnie. "I'm ready."
Bonnie stepped forward toward her, and Miranda extended one slender arm to touch her. She smiled.
"Thank you," she whispered, and just like that, she was gone.
Elena sank down on the ground, sobbing for real as her best friend sat down next to her, holding her close. "I'm so sorry, Elena…"
...
That night, as Elena lay with Damon and had finally fallen asleep, he kept stroking her hair for many more hours.
She had been through too much. It was time that this all ended and they'd have a happier event to look forward to.
He gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead, before he, too, finally fell asleep, spooning her, shielding her from everything out there.
...
Earlier, when Damon had arrived to pick Elena up off the floor, they had all sat down on the stairs in the front for a moment: Damon holding Elena, Bonnie leaning into Enzo. It had been so quiet.
Bonnie had not wanted to talk about it at all, but she knew she had to. So she finally broke the silence by clearing her throat.
"I'll have to know where Jeremy brought your dad," she said without preamble. There was nothing to soften the blow. Damon and Elena both stared at her, and she felt Enzo's arms come around her a little more protectively. She closed her eyes, grateful that he was there with her.
"You're gonna take him, too, aren't you?" Elena asked, and Bonnie nodded. "Good."
Elena had lost her dad a long time ago. Now it was time to get rid of the monster that had his face, it was time to get rid of it forever.
...
Bonnie and Enzo had left their two friends shortly thereafter, with the information they needed, and with a few more hugs exchanged. Now they back at their own place, huddled together on the couch, because the bed was just too uncomfortable for Bonnie these days.
"I'll need to do this now," she told Enzo, absently stroking the long scar on his arm where it was visible, not noticing the look he shot her. "Before our baby is here."
He leaned close to her ear as he muttered, "I'll come with you."
"No!" She exclaimed, a little too panicky probably. But she couldn't help it. The thought of Enzo having to face his tormentor even one more time was unbearable.
"Bonnie, I won't let you go alone." He sounded very serious.
She leaned her head against him and sighed. She wouldn't win a fight against him if part of her wanted him with her. She just didn't want him with Mr. Grayson.
"That man did unspeakable things to you, Enzo," she reminded him and he flinched. It pained her to see him actually show a reaction. It was a testament to how badly he had suffered. His barriers were usually up again, but when he was with her, the cracks still showed. Some things you couldn't overcome.
"I don't want you to have to see him ever again," she continued.
"Nobody knows him as well as I do, Bonnie. I don't want him to get in your head. Or worse…"
She scrunched up her face as sudden tears threatened to well over.
"Honestly? I'm so so afraid that he'll stick around on the Other Side, that I'll have to see him constantly, like…"
"Like you saw me?" His lips curled. He was actually smiling at the memory.
She playfully swatted his chest. "At least you were kinda cute."
"Even then?" He wiggled an eyebrow. "If I remember correctly, you hated me with a passion back then."
"I didn't hate you," she disagreed, and he cocked his head to look at her, rather doubtful. "I just didn't like you very much. And you were a pretty big douche."
"Ouch." He grinned. But soon they both turned serious again.
Bonnie touched his hand that he'd placed on her stomach to trace the movements inside of her, and she examined his every finger. "I just… he deserves to be in hell. And I hope the Other Side will get him there immediately. I couldn't bear to see him longer than necessary. I'd go crazy with him in my mind…"
She snuggled closer against him and missed the concern in his face. No matter what Bonnie said, he'd come with her in the morning.
He could protect her against Grayson Gilbert on this plane of existence, but he was honestly terrified of what might happen if Bonnie's fear came true.
...
They left early the next morning. Bonnie had gotten a few hours of sleep on the couch, but she could tell by the shadows on Enzo's face that he had stayed up for most of the night. She was worried about him. He was back to barely sleeping. She could barely concentrate on anything else the whole way, until they finally reached the place where Grayson Gilbert was held.
It was an old house. Civil War era. Very remote. When they entered, the place had the musty smell of old times and museums. Enzo had no difficulty coming in, so any ownership must have had long ended. There was a woman waiting for them. She extended a hand.
"Amber," she introduced herself. "Jer told me you needed to see the prisoner."
Bonnie frowned. She wondered whether the woman knew who "the prisoner" was to Jeremy. But she didn't ask and merely nodded.
"Follow me." She glared at Enzo, assessing him, and Bonnie felt the need to grab his arm possessively. They were in a house occupied by vampire hunters, another reason why he shouldn't have come with her. But according to Elena, Jeremy had told his people to lay off when it came to Enzo. Still, that woman gave off pretty hostile vibes.
They followed her down a long hallway that ended in a flight of stairs.
"Looks just like the Armory's vault down there," Bonnie stated.
Enzo grimaced.
"So many good memories combined," he replied rather drily, and she squeezed his hand.
"You can still change your mind. Wait outside for me," she suggested, but he gave a half shake of his head.
"Not an option, love. Let's get it over with."
...
Grayson Gilbert sat chained to a chair in a dark chamber without daylight, waiting for them. This was not his cell, just a visitors' room of sorts, Amber had informed them. The man looked unkempt and tired, but otherwise alright. There was no trace left of where Enzo had bitten him. His clothes were simple, a pair of jeans, a gray t-shirt. He was frustratingly handsome, even now.
Bonnie remembered how Caroline and she had both admitted to having had a little crush on their best friend's dad at some point during their lives. They'd all laughed about it so hard, Elena the most.
"But he's my dad!" She had exclaimed. Bonnie smiled at the memory, though the thought was kind of revolting so many years later.
"Enzo," Grayson said, completely ignoring Bonnie.
She bristled, anger made her cheeks flush.
"Don't talk to him," she hissed. She felt Enzo's calming touch against her, but she pushed herself in front of him anyway.
Grayson grinned. "You got your girl to be your shield? I never pegged you for a coward."
Suddenly, she stood alone, only a breeze indicating that Enzo had sped past her to Mr. Gilbert. He had the man by the throat, his face just a millimeter away from the other's, his nostrils flared. When he spoke, however, he didn't address Grayson.
"Do it," was all he said, and Bonnie slowly approached them.
"Do what?" Grayson choked out. "You couldn't kill me, so you brought her to finish it? Is that what this is?"
Bonnie wanted to tell him to stop taunting Enzo, but she knew he could look out for himself.
"I didn't kill you because you are already dead," he retorted.
Bonnie didn't wait for the startled man to regain his footing and lash out again. She bent forward and took his hand in hers. "What is this?" He made, but it was already happening, he was dissolving, going over to the Other Side.
For a moment she was terrified, it seemed exactly like she'd feared it would be. He was hanging on, staring at her. "Bonnie Bennett, this isn't over. Bring me back! Bring me back!" He got louder and louder, "Bring me back, or I will find ways-"
He was cut off rather abruptly as a darkness opened up behind him, bringing an icy cold and painful sharpness with it that swallowed him so quickly it was almost comical. He didn't even have a chance to process it.
Bonnie wasn't sure whether she imagined it, but she was quite certain she briefly saw Kai's face flash somewhere in the blackness, saluting her. She shook her head as if to clear it, and the darkness was replaced by the stark gray concrete of the visitors' room.
…
When all was done, she leaned heavily against Enzo, exhausted.
"Bonnie. Are you alright?" he asked her, concern evident in his features. Ever the worried boyfriend, she thought, and smiled at him.
"This was… easier than I thought," she muttered. "But now I'm really really tired." She looked at him, worry creeping into her own face. "Are you okay?" She asked, but he didn't say anything. She could read it in his eyes, that he really wasn't okay, though for her, he wanted to be. She stroked his cheek.
"He's gone, you know," she told him quietly. "He passed through. And not to the good place…"
He nodded, jaw muscles working as he clenched and unclenched his teeth, trying to process what she had said. Gently, she kissed his forehead and led him out of the dark place. Up into the daylight.
Time to get home. She had a feeling the baby wouldn't wait all that much longer.
...
Bonnie had called Elena on the way back. She had told her that it was over. Elena had wanted to ask where her dad had gone, whether Bonnie had seen it. But she had been too afraid. And Bonnie hadn't volunteered the information.
Elena sighed. She sat huddled up with a blanket over her legs - even though it wasn't cold, and waited for Damon's return. He had gone over to the bar for a bit, helping Matt deal with a few things and catching up. She knew it was good for him to get away from all this for a bit. She missed him regardlessly.
The ringing noise from the doorbell startled her. She tried to ignore it at first, but whoever it was, they were persistent. It better not be someone trying to sell her anything.
With a sigh she finally peeled herself out of the blanket and walked over to the heavy front door. Upon opening it, she said, "This better be good." But the words died at the end when she saw Jeremy standing in front of her, his eyes red from crying, his cheeks still wet, and his clothes looking dirty, bloody, and torn.
"Oh Jer," she muttered as she pulled him in for a hug.
...
Anyone want to give a suggestion as to how and where they'd like Damon to propose? If not, I'll go with my rather lame idea. :) But yes, proposal coming up soon.
Thank you so much for reading and especially to those who reviewed. Welcome back Anna and Shadowdancer! I missed you two! :)
I guess we took care of Miranda and Grayson. We shall see how it goes from here. And deenew: I did like Tyler and Caroline on the show, but unfortunately in this story, there's no chance anymore for them (see chapter 15...)