Try {One | Alaric Saltzman}

The Departed

The old clocks of the Salvatore Boarding House sounded before Abigail could even process their last toll.

"Well..." Damon leaned back with his hands clasped behind his head. "This is promising."

Bonnie halted. "Abby will be here."

"I'm sorry, I forgot about her stellar track record in the dependability department." The doorbell rang. "Don't get your hopes up! Might be a Girl Scout."

Abby's voice was undeniable as she asked, "Why didn't I have to be invited in?"

"Only vampires live here."

"We had signed over the deed to Elena, but she died. The seal broke, very long story." Damon offered Abby a glass of blood. "Ah, come on. Think of it as a peace offering. No? Fine. More for us."

Abigail drank the glass of blood in one go, instantly reminded of the way Alaric drank Elena's blood the night before.

"We called you here because I need help with a spell. Esther created a vampire that can't be killed. I want to desiccate him like you did to Mikael."

"Bonnie, it's too dangerous," she argued. "Your magic comes from the Earth. It's pure. This spell asks you to tap into dark places. Places of temptation, places you can't handle."

"You have no idea what I can handle."

"Gotta say I'm team Bonnie on this one." Damon smirked. "How hard can it be to parch a vampire?"

"The spell allows you to stop a vampire's heart. The blood will stop flowing and his body will desiccate." She turned to Bonnie. "To stop a vampire's heart, you need to find a balance among the living. Can you handle that?"

"We don't speak witch, Bonnie." He looked at her with wide eyes. "Spit it out."

Bonnie took a deep breath. "I have to stop a human heart."

Somehow, Abigail found herself alone with her namesake. She didn't remember seeking out the opportunity, only that she wanted to. And now that she had it, she wasn't entirely sure she was ready.

"I'm sorry for the part I played in turning you. And I'm not trying to make any excuses, but it was the only way for me to save Elena. It was-"

"You didn't kill me, Abigail. And, you know, I think I can do this. Caroline has given me the things I need to live a life that I am proud of. It's just going to take some time for me to come to terms with that." When she paused, it was clear that true acceptance would not come for years, but what she had then, it was more than she expected. "You look so much like them both..."

"My mom kept a picture of you all these years, tucked away where only she could find it. She showed it to me once, told me about you. About how much you loved nature and cared deeply for everyone around you. About how much she loved you." She knew more about her than Bonnie ever did, she realized, and it was that which brought tears to her eyes. "I think she would want you to know that."

"Miranda was an amazing woman. She took care of Bonnie when I couldn't, so..." She pulled her into a hug, whispering, "You call me if you ever need anything."

Jeremy was sitting on one of the picnic tables outside of the school when they pulled up in Damon's car, looking down at his ring. He greeted them softly as they crowded around him, not quite able to keep his voice even.

"I just got this app. It connects us through our phones." Abigail's hands shook as she pushed her phone into Damon's hand. "They're in A-Alaric's classroom. We should go in from the south entrance."

"Digital locator spell." He looked at Bonnie. "Why the hell do we need you then?"

Abigail didn't scold him, she didn't even look at him, no, her eyes hadn't left Jeremy. "The ring."