Whatever It Takes {Two | Alaric Saltzman}

Day One of Twenty-Two Thousand, Give or Take

"Dear Elena, two months ago, you said goodbye. I found the last journal you bought for yourself, empty and everything, like somehow the universe knew that was the only way I'd start writing right away. I don't want you to feel like you missed anything, but maybe I'm telling you too much. I mean, I don't know how you're ever going to read all of this. I did the math and, well, twenty-two thousand days, give or take, is a long time. But I don't know if there are enough pages in the world for me to fill before I miss you less."

The Albuquerque International Sunport was calmer than the last time Abigail was there; the noise was only what she expected it to be from gate to gate, the tarmac was lit by the sun rather than spotlights, and there had not been one single canceled or delayed flight.

"Speaking of the world, Damon kidnapped Alaric and flew him to Europe for a real impromptu guy's trip. I'm sure you can imagine how that's going. Obviously, we didn't let them leave without a chaperone. So, Damon is looking out for Alaric, Bonnie is looking out for Damon, and I have been checking up on them between stops of Jeremy and I's cross-country road trip. And, since I haven't updated you on that in a good few pages, we made it back to Santa Fe with plenty of time for him to pretend he was ever in art school."

A toddler passed in front of her, running toward his father as he came back with coffee. His babbles were indistinguishable, but he responded as if he knew exactly what he was saying. Her smile followed them back to the rest of their family and stayed there until it made its way to her journal.

"Tyler's been in Tennessee, spending time with the same wolf pack he helped a couple of years ago, and now he's on his way to spend some time with Jeremy. I'll get back to Mystic Falls in time to see Matt officially become Deputy Donovan. Every time I talk to him, I can hear it, what he said when he was in the hospital, but I don't want it to be that way. Even if a part of me feels like there's no way to change it. I wish Liz was here to see him, I wish she was here for Caroline. The Town Council gave her a bench. Caroline says it's the best looking one in the Square, and even though I haven't seen it, I've already agreed with her."

It could have been the end of her entry, but she turned the page. She lowered her pen to the paper slowly, almost as if she knew what Elena's reaction would be once she read what she was going to write. But she couldn't avoid it any longer.

"There is one more thing I have to tell you: I deferred graduate school a year. But I got a job at Whitmore under Dr. Garrison, so I'm not completely out of the game. That also means I'll be working with Alaric... I remember when I met him, when I really met him, he told me I wouldn't always feel stuck. And, Elena, he was right. He is always right."

In the back of a cab, Abigail answered her phone, "Hey, Stefan."

"Hey." His greeting was not what she had grown used to. "Damon just called me from some bar. You were right, they made their way to Amsterdam."

She looked out of the window. "Well, I just made my way into Mystic Falls."

"Great. I, uh, I actually need you to come to my place."

Abigail dropped a duffle bag onto the Salvatore Boarding House kitchen table where Matt and Stefan were sitting amongst crime scene photos and reports.

Stefan looked up at her. "And how long has that been hidden in my house?"

"A while." She glanced at the files. "What the hell happened?"

"These bodies are not Lily's style. It's got to be the Heretics."

"Reception went a little fuzzy, brother," Damon's voice came through the speaker of Stefan's phone. "It sounded like you said Mom got her family of crazies back. Can I have some details?"