*No. No, no, no, no. . .*
* * * * *
Same Time
Bonnie’s Apartment
Elisabeth woke with a start, sitting up and drawing in a shaky breath all in one movement. Immediately, she looked around at her surroundings, relieved to see nothing but Bonnie’s bedroom.
*Christ.* She put a hand to her forhead, trying to breathe deeply and calm her fluttering heart. The dream had been frighteningly real—she expected to see Sebastian materialize at any moment.
She thought about all that she had learned and felt tears forming in her eyes. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed. “I love you darling,” she whispered. “But I have to stop you.”
What did he think this plan would accomplish? It was obvious that he expected everything to go back to hunky dory normal after he took over his twin’s body, and Elisabeth was certain that no amount of pleading on her part would make him realize how insane the idea was. It almost felt like the plot of some moronic, low-budget horror movie.
She could feel the others still out in the livingroom, one mind in particular calling out to her with its frustration and anger.
Damon. He was not happy.
Well, at least he had waited like she’d asked him to. She’d been afraid that his feelings for his brother and Bonnie would outweigh his promise to her, and then they’d be searching for a third person. Elisabeth didn’t need that. She needed Damon. With the strong connection he apparently shared with Bonnie, it was almost as good as having the redheaded psychic there in the flesh. And no one would be able to find her faster than Damon, Elisabeth was willing to bet money on that hunch.
She stood up and ran her hands through her hair. She knew it still looked good. . .she had a hard time looking anything but good. It was a vampire thing—one of the perks. That plus the everlasting life. . .
*And this is what Sebastian wants,* she thought ironically. She suddenly felt tired again as she thought back to all those years before, when he had begged her to change him.
*Why did I refuse him?* she mused. Had she been afraid? She hadn’t been able to transform Isabella, what if the same thing had happened with Sebastian? Yes, it had been fear, pure fear that had kept her from granting her son’s wish.
But then, he had died anyway. . .only days later. And she’d been powerless to prevent it. . .
Elisabeth squared her shoulders and pushed her regrets to the back of her mind. *Another time,* she told herself as she headed back out toward the living room.
She found four listless individuals waiting for her. They all came to attention as soon as she entered the room.
Meredith and Alaric were settled on the loveseat, Meredith half-asleep in Alaric’s arms. She sat up when she saw Elisabeth, smoothing her already perfectly smooth dark hair.
Matt sat up as well from his position on the couch, nudging Aurora with his elbow as she had dozed off next to him. She jerked awake, the sleepy confusion leaving her face as soon as she glimpsed her sire.
Damon, already alert, stood by the balcony door, staring at Elisabeth with an intesity that frightened her. His entire being was on edge. The feeling began to transfer to her, so she wasted no time.
“We have big problems,” she began.
“What does that mean?” Matt demanded.
Elisabeth stepped closer to all of them. “It means, that unless we find them soon, for all intents and purposes, Bonnie and Stefan will die.”
Damon’s mind lurched in protest and both Aurora and Elisabeth jumped from the strength of it. At the same time, Meredith’s hand flew to her mouth and her eyes widened in horror.
Alaric cleared his throat painfully. “For all intents and purposes?”
Elisabeth sighed. “Bonnie will die. Sebastian needs her power. She is literally the ‘Power’ referred to in the prophecy.”
“Pourquoi? Why does he want to kill her?”
“He wants to live,” she answered Aurora. “He wants eternal life, and he wants to know the twin brother he never got a chance to know.”
They were all looking at her in confusion, so she sighed and continued.
“He wants to become Stefan.”
“What in the hell are you talking about?” Damon growled.
Elisabeth opened her mouth, but it was Alaric who answered. “He wants to do a soul transfer. Essentially, he wants to take over Stefan’s body.”
Elisabeth nodded while Meredith breathed, “Can he do that?”
“Not at present,” Elisabeth replied. “But by harnassing Bonnie’s power tomorrow night, he’ll have enough power to complete the transfer.”
“So he’s going to kill Bonnie and take over Stefan?” Matt stood up and made for the door. He pulled it open and turned back to look at them. “Well? C’mon, we have to go find them.”
“Matt, wait.” Aurora began to walk toward him. “Let Elisabeth finish first.”
The redheaded vampire gazed at Matt. How was she going to tell him this?
“It’s not Sebastian that will kill Bonnie, Matt. He’s been using someone. Someone to do all of his nasty physical work. . .someone innocent.”
Understanding dawned on Matt’s smooth features, and he frowned, clenching his jaw. “Cecily,” he stated. “He’s been controlling her, and now he’s going to use her to kill Bonnie.”
Damon stepped forward. “Who?” he asked. “What did you say?”
“He said Cecily,” came a voice from the doorway. They all turned to look, and silence enveloped the room.
“Cecily,” Matt murmured.
“My God,” Alaric whispered. “She really does look like Elena.”
She stood in the doorway, tall and elegant, yet exhausted beyond belief. Her blond hair was hanging in her face and she pushed it back impatiently. She frowned deeply, and though Matt was right in front of her, she seemed focused on something farther into the room. It was Matt she addressed though.
“You’re right, he’s been using me. I only started to remember everything about an hour ago. I—I don’t know how---“ she broke off and Matt made a movement toward her. She held her hand up to stop him. “No. I need to finish.” Her gaze finally found the blond in front of her. “I’ve done some horrible things in the past week that I didn’t remember doing. I influenced Aurora to kill that boy, I kidnapped Damon, I set the hotel on fire, I kill—I killed your friend, Caroline—“ a deep sob wracked her body.
Matt looked stricken, as did everyone else in the room. “But, you couldn’t have,” he protested weakly. “It was a—“
“Vampire?” Cecily finished. Then she simply stared at him for a moment, before letting her eyes wander back to something inside the apartment. Elisabeth looked around and realized that it was someone she was staring at—and that someone was Damon.
“You’re a vampire?”
Cecily glanced briefly at Meredith then nodded. Her hand drifted up and showed them the tiny lapis lazuli stud in her ear. “I was born in Brooklyn, New York,” she whispered. “In the year 1918.” She then looked at each of them in turn. “I realize that my apology means nothing, but know that I never wanted to hurt any of you.” She settled on Matt. “Least of all you. I didn’t know any of this was going on. This doesn’t change the way I feel about you, Matt, although I realize that it must change things between us.”
Matt was silent, staring at the floor. He cleared his throat and looked up, his eyes full of pain and unshed tears. He turned to Elisabeth, avoiding Cecily’s gaze completely. “If she’s realized and remembered everything, than she’s not a threat anymore, is she? So, we don’t have to worry about Bonnie and Stefan?”
Elisabeth didn’t know what to say. Cecily’s arrival at their doorstep had all but confirmed her suspicions she’d had during her dream, but how could she tell everyone else what she was thinking?
Cecily solved the problem for her. “I’m not the threat,” she stated clearly. “I’m not part of the prophecy.”
“How do you—“
She waved off Meredith’s question. “It’s not important. Think about the words.”
“The Spirit will gain flesh only on the night when the blood of the Power is shed by the Light,” Elisabeth repeated.
“Bonnie is not a vampire,” Matt stated dully. “Light can’t kill her.”
“Not light,” Damon spoke up hollowly. They all turned to look at him. His dark eyes were bleak and endless. “The Light.” He paused.
“’Elena Gilbert: A Light in Darkness.’”
* * * * *
Same Time
Fell’s Church
*No. No, no, no, no. . .*
“Hello Bonnie.”
The voice was too familiar. As were the jewel-like blue eyes that were staring into her own right now. Bonnie had literally never felt more scared and despondant at the same time in her entire life.
Stefan had gone silent, but Bonnie could feel his torment, could practically feel the tears coursing down his cheeks. But, maybe those were her own tears she was feeling. . .
*How?* her mind screamed. *Why?*
It didn’t seem fair. . .not again, not again. And yet, it was perfectly normal. Bonnie realized that she wasn’t really surprised at all.
Which was why she managed to keep her head upright and to reply in a clear voice,
“Hello Elena.”
* * * * *Part 32
