Chapter Text
"The ritual will work but for only one person."
An exhausted female voice echoed.
"Are you sure ? It's only one person ?"
A deep voice tinged with desperation yet at the same time an underlying tone of steel asked after her.
"Yes, Damon. Only one person can go back."
The woman stared at the forever frozen appearance of the man.
"How far back can the person go ? If we used the hollow inside me as the source of power, can we increase the number of people ?"
The man questioned carding his fingers through the raven black hair.
"It isn't about the power that we have to worry about. You know this, Damon. We can't afford the collapse of the of two timelines. That's why we are sending one person."
Bonnie explained patiently, her tired appearance a direct contrast against Damon's appearance.
Damon released a tired sigh.
"Okay. So who is going back ?"
Damon voiced the most important question at the moment.
Bonnie and Freya exchanged a glance before they turned to Damon.
"What ? Why are you looking at me like that ?"
Damon inhaled sharply at the unspoken agreement that passed between the witches.
He knew what it meant but he was happy to ignore it. He wanted to act like he didn't know anything.
"I'm sorry, Damon. This ritual will not only send the consciousness of the participant back in time. But it will also send their body back. Unfortunately a mortal body won't survive the magical energy of the ritual."
Even haggard and battered Freya had an elegance to her, that only a Mikaelson would have. She commanded respect just from the way she spoke.
"Moreover, you are the only one who will be able to save Hendrick. You'll have enough time too since the ritual will take you to 1890."
She added with grief clear in her voice.
If someone told Elena Gilbert her peaceful life will disappear simply because she decided to go to a party, she would have decked that person on the face.
But she has already lost her parents. The guilt and the agony of her parents' deaths crippled her. She wished again and again, over and over that it was her instead.
She would have gladly given her life for her parents. When she surely but slowly moved past the breath stopping pain, she met Stefan.
Sweet and kind Stefan.
From the very moment she saw him, she wanted to be closer to him. She was drawn into his orbit like she knew no other man.
But he only wanted to be her friend. He didn't feel the same about her.
She wanted more from him. She was glad that he at least wanted to be her friend. She thought she could get him to like her more if she kept being his friend.
It didn't take long for her to realize that even though he considered her a friend, he kept her at arms' length. She could tell his secrets had secrets.
Even though she knew it wasn't her place, she kept pushing to know more.
It seemed she lucked out because she found out what Stefan was.
He was a vampire.
This revelation opened her eyes to the supernatural world.
The vampires, the witches and all the danger that came from it when you are involved in it.
One curveball after one curveball was thrown into her life.
The animal attacks and the mysterious disappearance of the people became clear after that.
At first they suspected it was Stefan's older brother, Damon who was behind the attacks. A theory that was proven wrong when they found out there were other vampires in Mystic Falls and there was no sign of him at all.
Then came the kidnapping of Bonnie and her, when a vampire named Annabelle wanted to open the tomb. She threatened Bonnie's grandmother, Shelia with Bonnie's life.
Opening of the tomb almost cost the life of Bonnie's grandmother if not for a magical artifact given to the Bennet line from their mysterious protector. The artifact was a necklace with a pendant of a mid flight raven.
There were quite a few of such necklaces given to them by their mysterious protector. The Bennet witches seemed to wear them upon the awakening of their magic.
Now Bonnie seemed to wear the necklace of an artifact wherever she went, forever grateful to the protector even if she didn't know who he is.
Then the tomb vampires had escaped and wanted revenge on the founding families. With the tomb vampires came Elena's biological mother and father, Isobel and John.
She wouldn't be surprised if her life was a tragic novel at this point.
Isobel had wanted a device to neutralise vampires from Anna's mother, Pearl. During the whole thing, Tyler's father was caught in the crossfire and had lost his life.
Tyler had been affected by the device too. Elena wasn't sure what to think of that. She had grown up with Tyler and she knew for a fact they weren't vampires.
Then Caroline had been turned into a vampire by Elena's evil double.
She was trying to calm her down now with Stefan's help. She pointedly ignored the cooling corpse of the guy her friend accidentally killed.
She was trying to reach Caroline when Bonnie walked in on the scene. A gasp left her lips and her eyes widened in horror.
"What's going on here ?"
Her eyes drifted towards Caroline after she stared at the bloodied corpse. Elena could see Bonnie putting the pieces together.
"Oh my god. Caroline, did you become a vampire ?"
Bonnie exclaimed in panic.
"What ? What's going on ? What do you mean a vampire ? Can someone please explain it to me ?"
Caroline questioned amidst her sobbing.
Elena's heart ached at her friend's pain and sorrow. She'll mourn the life she lost when she was alone from a place hidden from prying eyes.
Before Elena could respond, a deep and sensual voice interrupted from behind her.
"Well well well Stefan. What do we have here ?"
Elena turned slowly as she tried to squash the panic bubbling inside her. Her breath caught the moment she met the icy blue eyes of the owner of the voice.
The world stopped when she took in the beauty of the man who stood infront of them in a black jean, a blue turtleneck and a black leather jacket.
It didn't take Elena to place who the man was from a photo Stefan showed her. Her suspicions were confirmed when Stefan parted his lips.
"Damon."
Stefan's voice was tinged with affection and relief.
Elena had never heard such a voice directed at her from Stefan. Sure, he spoke in a gentle and soft manner towards her and his other friends.
But he had never taken that tone overflowing with love and fondness when speaking to anyone. It seemed she wasn't the only one surprised.
Caroline stopped sobbing and stared at Stefan like she was seeing him for the first time. Even Bonnie was openly gaping at them. Elena was sure she was no better.
A sinful smirk crossed his handsome face as Damon replied.
"Hello brother."
His words were tinged with so much fondness that Elena could feel envy brewing at her gut.
Even after hundred years, their relationship as siblings hadn't wavered. Elena wanted such a relationship with Jeremy.
It wasn't like they didn't get along. After Vicky's death and hearing about how Elena wanted Stefan to compel Jeremy, their relationship hadn't been the same.
She watched as Damon took a deep breath and his gaze zeroed in on Caroline.
Damon's eyes drifted towards Stefan and they narrowed in annoyance.
"And what have I told you about siring newborns when you are still young ?"
He crossed his arms as he asked the question. Elena tried not to be distracted from the bunching of his muscles.
Stefan squared his shoulders and posed a question defiantly instead of answering.
"How are you sure I am the sire ? It could be another vampire."
At the moment, Stefan looked like a kid caught with his hand inside the cookie jar. He was like a child confronting a parent after doing something he shouldn't have done.
Elena had to admit it was an adorable look on Stefan while squashing the jealousy that arose in her.
Elena wasn't capable of bringing out such reactions from Stefan even though she tried very hard.
"I don't know Stefan, probably because I can smell your blood in her ?"
Damon deadpanned while he didn't say more, the 'Duh' was implied.
It startled a laugh out of Bonnie that everyone turned to her. She tried to stifle the laughter escaping her by covering her mouth, but the shaking of her shoulders gave her away.
"I only gave her my blood to heal her. I didn't turn her."
Stefan deflated and sulkily replied after failing to trick his brother.
"We should take her to her house and explain to her what's going on here."
Damon suggested as he turned to leave.
"Can't we take her to the boarding house instead of her house ? We won't have to worry about anyone eavesdropping on our conversation."
Elena tried to interject.
"Yeah. Not happening. I brought Hendrick home. I don't wanna a newbie vampire anywhere near him."
It irked her that Damon didn't even look at her when he replied. She watched as he tossed something like a coin over his shoulder towards the corpse.
The moment it hit the corpse, it burned the dead body so fast there wasn't even ash remaining the time it took her to blink.
She couldn't help but watch on in awe at that. She snuck a glance at her friends to see Bonnie watching it with fascination while Caroline seemed flabbergasted.
Stefan didn't seem surprised at this. Elena had so many questions that she was eager to learn the answers to as she along with others started to trail behind Damon like a flock of little ducklings.