Coalesce (Book Six of The Vampire Diaries)

Ch. 8: Fade Into You

Stefan, Damon, Alaric and I were going to Portland, Oregon to track down the Gemini Coven.

Kai, the freak that Damon had been stuck with, the one from the prison world of 1994, was still over there with Bonnie, and Bonnie was alive, and we knew this because she sent her teddy bear over.

The only thing that we needed was the Ascendant, a key to the prison world.

Elena called Alaric. "You can't miss Friendsgiving. I mean, Matt and Jeremy are already cleaning up the whole Tripp mess, and Caroline's mom has to work. We're already low on friends as it is." 

"Well, if it's any consolation, our Thanksgiving was roadside chili."

Stefan, Damon and I were talking.

"Hey," Stefan told us. "Were you guys invited to Friendsgiving?" 

"Of course," I answered. "Caroline demanded I bring string beans."

"Huh," Stefan said.

"Why?" Damon asked. "Were you not invited?"

"Nope," Stefan answered.

"Ooh, boy," I told him. "You messed with the wrong girl's feelings."

I chuckled.

We went back to listening to Alaric and Elena's phone conversation.

"What do you mean, Bonnie's in the prison world? Damon said that she wasn't there, that she found peace with... why didn't he tell me this?" 

"Why wouldn't I consult you in a decision that might permanently change your life?" Damon asked sarcastically. "Hmm. I wonder." 

"He didn't want to get your hopes up," Alaric told her. "He honestly thought Bonnie died trying to free him. If she sent her teddy bear over, it could mean she's still..."

"Bonnie's still alive? Oh, my God!" 

"Yeah. So we're in Portland right now, trying to track down some Gemini thing."

"Ascendant," I corrected. 

"This is amazing." 

"Alaric, you might want to keep the news to yourself," Stefan told him. "I tracked this lead months ago. It was a dead end." 

"Yeah, because whenever Elena gets her hopes up, something always goes wrong," I told them.

"Stefan and Kaylin send their love," Alaric told her. 

"Wait. What?" 

Alaric hung up. 

******

We walked toward where the Gemini Coven was supposed to be. 

"Is that why the reason Caroline assigned me the turkey and the cranberries?" Alaric asked. "Stefan wasn't invited?" 

"See what you did?" I asked. "Now we're pulling your weight. I really hope you figure this out before Christmas." 

"Yeah," Stefan said. "Well, I'm glad you're all finding amusement in this."

"Why don't you just date her, put us all out of our misery?" Damon asked.

"Because I don't think about her that way," Stefan answered. "She's my friend."

"Who could make a great girlfriend," Damon told him. "Look. One, she's hot. Objectively."

"Two, she puts up with you," Alaric added.