Whatever It Takes {Two | Alaric Saltzman}

Whatever It Takes

The morning before she left for Whitmore College, she paced around the loft. She'd spent most of the summer there, just like the one before, using it as the place she thought about her future. The answers to the questions she asked herself came few and far between, were never solid, and almost always lapped back to the words Alaric left her with on their last night. So, she picked a major, registered for classes, and reserved the dorm room that connected to Caroline's for her and Elena.

Bonnie was not returning to Virginia after a summer of traveling with her mom, and although she'd kept somewhat in touch, they hadn't been able to get her on the phone. She wanted to hear her voice. That was something she found herself caring about, the sound of everyone's voices, because one day, decades or centuries from now, she wouldn't have the choice. Still, she sat down at Alaric's desk, turned on his computer, typed in his password, and opened her email.

"Hey, Bonnie. I'm glad you're having fun traveling with your mom, but I still don't know how I'm supposed to do this whole college thing without you. Elena has distracted herself with Damon all summer long and Caroline has used designing the color palette for our dorm rooms as hers. Tyler's still in Tennessee, helping a new wolf pack. Matt and Rebekah have been sending postcards. I think they're on their way back from Amsterdam now or was it Prague?" She laughed softly, eyes brimming with tears. "Anyway, I can't wait to see you. Love you. Abigail."

The pictures were what she wanted them to be. The notes on napkins, scraps of paper, anything that would hold ink, they were right where they'd left them. The books were everywhere, all read at least once. And the candles were burned too far down to be lit again. So, with one last look around apartment number nine, Abigail closed the door.

It was late, nearing midnight, when the cool, blank white of her phone screen lit up the boarding house's dark living room. "Hey, Abigail, what's up? You guys have no idea how much I miss you. I've been emailing with Jeremy, he says it's been surreal to be alive. If Katherine ingesting the only cure on this earth and having to live as a human isn't justice, I don't know what is. And as for the college thing, you've got this. Talk soon. Bonnie."

Damon walked into the room with something of a sad expression, one even his dinner date with Elena couldn't wipe away. "Is that from Bonnie?"

"Yeah." She watched him as he poured drinks, slowly crossed the room, and slumped down on the couch next to her. "Can I ask you something?"

He answered with two hesitant words, "That depends."

"Why did you go to Boston to look for me if you knew my humanity was off?"

"Well, I was hoping you were just really pissed so you took a little road trip. And I figured you'd go there, see the things he talked about. Hold onto whatever you could of him." He looked down at his glass. "And you did, even if you didn't realize it."

"Damon," she sighed out. "I know you lost him too. And I'm sorry. I don't think I ever said that."

She had only seen him cry a handful of times, but that night was the worst.

"There were issues at home. Ever since I lost my parents, my aunt, I've been acting out... drugs, drinking." Jeremy leaned into the morning light, clasping his hands together in front of him. "I was looking for attention, so I lit my house on fire and faked my own death."

Abigail zipped up his backpack and dropped it at his feet. "Really stress the drug thing."

"And I'd say that the fire was an accident, because there's crazy, and then there's..." Elena swallowed hard. "Well, you know. Me."

He looked between them. "I could just not go back, considering my school already had a memorial for me."

Damon carried the last of their things into the foyer. "Caroline just pulled up. If your four car parade has a chance at beating traffic, you guys better get on the road."