Chapter Twenty Six
Damon and I were practically racing each other to get inside the barn where they held the tragic wedding. He spent the whole ride, telling me not to do anything impulsive. I spent the whole ride ignoring him and being defiant, retorting that I would do anything I had to, to save my sister. Anything but let Bonnie die. I wasn't exactly sure where Damon stood on that subject. So I raced to save my best friend, ready to beg Kai to let both girls live normally.
Inside was a wreck. Chandeliers hung two feet on the floor or not at all. Tables and chairs turned over and broken. All the windows? Broken. Glass was everywhere along with knocked over white flower centerpieces. The only thing still intact were all the dangling fairy lights. I couldn't believe how something so beautiful could end so ugly, bloody, and just down right fucked up.
A soft groan was heard and caught both of mine and Damon's attention. "Bonnie," he gasped, rushing forward. I followed him, spotting my best friend laying on the floor. "Bonnie, hey."
"Damon, Kenzie," she mumbled weakly. Her hand was over her stomach where I'm assuming blood was pooling. Bonnie could barely turn her head to see us.
"Feed her your blood," I ordered Damon as he crouched down beside her.
"How dumb are you two?" A new voice came as Damon was rolling up his sleeve. I looked up to see Kai sitting across the room on the stage where Jo and Ric were saying their vows. "I deliver you guys a dying Bonnie Benner on a silver platter and, woosh... right over both of your heads."
"Damon," Bonnie called out.
"Translation, she's about to croak," Kai continued to taunt Damon.
I flashed over in front of the siphon brat. I yanked him to his feet, glaring, "Undo the damn spell, Kai," I ordered. He had the nerve to smirk at me. "Undo it!"
"What's in it for me?" Kai asked.
"What do you want?"
"Can you heal my werewolf bite?"
I clenched my teeth, "No."
"Then what can you offer me?" Kai scoffed.
"Trade my life for Elena's," I said.
Kai raised a brow, "Now that's interesting. I heard you were the selfish twin."
"Kenzie, what the hell are you doing?" Damon asked.
I ignored him, but Kai didn't. "You don't have to help her. You could walk away. And then both of the twins can live," he told Damon who was still crouched beside Bonnie.
"Damon, save Bonnie!" I shouted. Kai grinned deviously before placing his hands on my arms holding him. My skin started to sizzle and I had to let him go. "Ow, fuck."
"Bonnie dies of a collapsed lung, no blood on your hands. You and Elena get to live the life you dreamed. Or keep Elena and Bonnie, let Kenzie rest for a lifetime. You could finally get back at your brother by making him miserable for the next 60 to 80 years. It's your decision, Damon. Either way, you better act quick," Kai taunted.
"Damon, let me go," I begged him, ready to walk towards him but suddenly I couldn't move. Kai was holding his hand out to me so I was frozen. I couldn't save Bonnie myself. Damon was hovering over her, his hand in hers. He looked at me, staring hard with his thinking face. "I'm a vampire. I have forever when I wake up. Stefan will be okay."
"What about Elena? You think she'd want this? And what about Maverick—?"
"He needs his mother," I cut him off. "That's why I'm doing this."
"Stefan will hate me. Elena will hate me."
"It's my decision!"
"I've never been good at letting you girls make your own decisions... I'm not starting now."
"Damon," I snapped. "Don't do this."
He gulped, his blue eyes lightening with sadness. He looked down at Bonnie, "I'm so sorry, Bonnie," he whispered before leaning down to kiss her forehead.
"What? No!" I screamed. "Damon, no!" He ignored me, tugging his hand from Bonnie's with a slight struggle. I looked at Kai, desperate now as Damon was walking towards the exit. "Kai, please. Take me instead of Elena. She has a kid."
Kai ignored me, throwing his hands up in disbelief, "That's it? He just left you? The whole point was that this would torture him for a while."
"Kai, please!" I cried, still unable to move to help Bonnie.
"And you over Elena?" Kai scoffed, referring to me. "I mean, you'd think he'd at least flip a coin. Heads he picks you. Tails he picks—"
Out of nowhere Damon appeared behind Kai. I gasped as he used his hand to slice Kai's head off. I was free to move. But now I was frozen. "No," I mumbled, falling to my knees, wishing I could glue him back to his body. If Kai was dead then he couldn't undo the spell or swap me out for Elena, which was the right thing to do.
"You thought I was gonna leave you, huh?" I heard Damon speak. With tears in my eyes I looked over to see him hovering over Bonnie again and biting his wrist, "No way. I'm not out of nicknames for you yet."
He fed her, his blood and then glanced at me. "We're never going to get Elena back," I croaked.
Damon shook his head, "She wouldn't want to come back at yours or Bonnie's expense."
"It was my decision," I cried.
"No, actually it was mine," Damon retorted, lifting Bonnie into his arms. "Kai gave me the choice. I refused your martyr attempt. And for your own good. Stefan would never forgive you."
"I don't care!" I screamed, standing up.
"What about Jeremy, Kenzie?" Damon quipped. "You love him more than anything or anybody in this world."
"Maverick comes first. He's a baby. He needs his mother. Jeremy... Jeremy would... he'd understand. And he'd have Elena. And Stefan would have you. I'm nobody—"
"You are the glue that holds everyone together," Damon interrupted me. "And you are the strongest woman I know. It's been a crappy year, kitten, but don't fall apart on me now. We all are going to need you, we're going to need each other, now more than ever."
***
I was in the hospital by Elena's bedside with no one but Maverick who was in bed with her. I sighed deeply, leaning my head on her shoulder and wrapping my arm around both of them. My mind was racing and yet I was speechless. What do you say to your comatose sister?
She wasn't just my sister. She was my twin. And at times I hated to admit it, she was my other half, occasionally my better half. Though we've grown apart the past few years, she was a part of me. A part I wasn't ready to miss indefinitely. She wasn't dead, but time stood still for her. And that wasn't fair. She was about to miss a lifetime with everything and everyone she loved. Per usual I tried to sacrifice myself. What a hypocrite. When Elena played martyr I was angry. But when it was me? It made sense. I was the big sister, I make the tough decisions. I sacrifice. I mean I was selfish before, getting involved with Stefan years ago. But now I was willing to give him up to let Elena be a mother, something she always wanted that I didn't. Yet here I was in envy. Was her life perfect? Absolutely not. Just when I started putting the pieces of my life together, she made a mess of hers. But she got one thing perfect. Maverick Grey Donovan.
A knock to the door came then. I didn't even tell them to come in before it cracked open to reveal my husband. He slowly entered the room, shutting the door behind him. "Hey," he whispered softly, walking around the bed until he was behind me.
"Hi."
He leaned down and kissed the top of my head, "Matt is here for Maverick."
I nodded, "take him."
Stefan reached over me to pick up the toddler. He then slipped out the room. I continued to hold Elena, wondering if she could feel or hear me. I didn't know how this whole thing worked. She was just sleeping. But was any part of her conscious?
Why was this so hard? I didn't know what to do or say. Elena and I had grown apart since our parents died. And we've drastically changed, the two of us. I was the party girl, outgoing badass before the car accident. She was the goody two shoes with the straight laced boyfriend. Despite how inexperienced I was, people assumed I had done more. And I was voted most likely to end up pregnant in high school.
But our parents died, and we met Stefan. I think when she broke up with him, she wasn't prepared for the supernatural world to hit us still. And it did, then I had him and she was jealous. Since then she hasn't been the same. Trying to win Stefan back from me, hooking up with Damon and juggling a forced relationship with Matt. She was all over the place and in her own world while I was embracing the life in front of me when I chose Stefan. I fell in love with him, his problems were mine and vice versa. He's made me a better person. He's tamed me. And then I became a vampire while she became a mom. We've been on different paths for a long while. But when Stefan and Damon 'died' we had just started to be come close again. We were about to be dating brothers. She and Damon were getting together and going to have a family while Stefan and I were going to have a wedding and start a family of our own.
Now there's no happily ever after for either of us.
"Baby," a soft voice called before a hand was on my shoulder, tugging me back from Elena. I turned to look at Stefan. "Let's go home."
"What? No," I stated. "I can't leave her."
"Damon is here. He wants to see her," Stefan said.
I pursed my lips, willing myself not to cry, "I don't want to leave her."
"Kenz," he frowned, sighing afterwards. It was written all over his face. He was lost for words too. Who wasn't? How does this happen? Who the fuck does this happen to? This wasn't fair, not even a little bit. To any of us! Kai did this because of what? He's mad at Bonnie? Because he hates Damon? Because I wouldn't go out with him? He was right. This hurts more than anything he could do to us. He's breaking our hearts and wrecking us all with guilt while ruining Elena's life.
"I don't know what to do, Stefan," I whispered.
He didn't say anything, he just leaned down and hugged me, as I stayed wrapped around her. I closed my eyes, inhaling his cologne. He indeed made everything feel better.
After a moment, I pushed him away and finally stood up. "Damon should have his time with her... I know he'd let me if it was you lying here," I whispered.
Stefan wiped my eyes and kissed my forehead before hugging me again. "Jeremy is finally on a plane. He'll be here soon," my husband told me.
I sighed in relief, squeezing Stefan tighter. "I love Jeremy, and I want him here," I said softly, pulling back and cupping Stefan's face in my hands. His eyes were glossy. I wasn't sure if it was because he was hurting cause I hurt, if the situation was just too emotional, or he was personally upset about this happening to Elena. Maybe a combination of it all.
"I know, babe."
"But I love you too. And you're the one I need. Okay? It's always been you. When Jeremy was... You were what I wanted and needed. Not having you there made me lose my mind and shut off my humanity. But when it was back on, you brought me back to life. And now Elena... I've always been closer to Jeremy than her or anyone else, but this... hurts more than I could ever expect it to. She's my twin. My soul sister, my better half—"
"Other half," Stefan corrected and I smiled. "You have to stop crying, Kenz."
"I can't," I croaked. "I'm lost without her. And trying to figure out what to do, to do right by her feels impossible? Like now what? Do I find Mav a babysitter? Do I plan a funeral? What am I supposed to do, Stefan? And our wedding? I can't get married again without her by my side—"
"Whoa. Wait a minute."
"I can't, and I won't."
"Kenz—"
"I've lost everyone!" I snapped, shouting. "Everyone in my life. My dad can't walk me down the aisle, neither of them! My mom is dead. My aunt is dead. And now I have no maid of honor? And our ring bearer who will suffer without a mother? What about him? I won't have a wedding without her here. You want a big perfect wedding, it's not perfect without her! I can't be happy while she's comatose."
Stefan nodded, wiping my eyes again while tears poured down his face as well. "Good thing we have eternity then, huh?" He chuckled humorlessly. "I love you to the moon and back, Kenzie Nicole. And if I have to wait a lifetime... I will. I will marry you again in 50, 60, 80, or 100 years from now. Whatever you want. Okay?"
"I wanted it to be me," I whispered.
"What?" He asked in confusion, wiping his own eyes.
"I asked Kai to trade her life for mine," I admitted.
"Why would you do that?" Stefan asked, stepping away from me in shock.
"She has a kid, Stefan. You have an infinite lifetime."
"If it was you... she'd be dead or near dead by the time you woke up."
"If it means Maverick has a mother... I'd do it. I don't care if I never see Elena or Bonnie again. He's the most important person in all of our lives. He is precious and innocent and perfect. He doesn't deserve this. And now we have to put him first."
Stefan nodded.
"You understand, right?"
Stefan swallowed but nodded again, "if it was Damon or I... I'd sacrifice myself too."
"I know you would," I whispered. "And if Kai took me up on my offer, I'd know you'd wait for me. And that made it okay. If Elena got to be a mom, and she's Bonnie, and Jer and Ric were all gone... I'd make it through because I had you. And I'd see my little nephew old and gray, needing to be cared for and his diaper change just like now."
Stefan laughed then. I smiled too. His smile, those teeth, pulled me together. He was everything to me. I meant every word I ever said to him. "I love you, Mrs. Salvatore," Stefan grinned.
"I love you more," I said, wrapping my arms around his neck. "And you are the only reason I'm glad it's not me sleeping there."
He crashed his lips to mine, his arms winding around my waist and then lifting me off my feet for a second. Tears still rolled down my face. My nerves still felt shot and I felt shaky. But his warmth engulfed my sadness, his aftershave invaded all my senses, and my tongue lapped his with fervor.
***
Stefan and I were hand in hand as we approached the front door. Bonnie and Caroline were finally here to say goodbye. Even though Elena was physically unconscious, the spell allowed us to enter her subconscious. With a little touch and focus, we could enter her mind to speak with her. One last time.
We all agreed on it. Last night Stefan and I sat down with Damon, Ric and Jeremy. Because she had the cure in her blood, vampires would come for her. So we decided it was best to hide her away in a place that only we knew.
"Hey," Care whispered from the doorway.
I dropped Stefan's hand and moved forward, Bonnie meeting me halfway for a tight hug. I held her for a long moment while the other two joined the rest of the people in the room. The only person who has said goodbye so far was Matt with Maverick and then Stefan. "I don't want to do this without you," Bonnie said and I nodded.
"The three of us. One last girls day," I assured her, fighting my own set of tears.
Bonnie and I moved into the room, all eyes on us. I led Bonnie to Elena who was in a coffin, in a black and purple dress I picked out. Caroline joined us then, taking Bonnie's hand.
"It's easy, Bon. We just take her hand... close your eyes... and let her into your thoughts," Care instructed.
We all did so then and in a flash of white light we were transported into Elena's bedroom in our now burned down house. Caroline sat on the bed first while Bonnie scoffed at the pillow in her hand.
"Are we seriously having a sleepover?" Bonnie asked.
"Come on! Hurry up and get in here," Care beckoned us both. And we did. We joined the two of them on her bed and for a second it felt like old times. Back when we were all 16 and we didn't have drama or heartache or fights. "Kenzie and I are the ones who get to see her again. I mean, you should get the better goodbye."
Elena frowned, "Oh Care, come here!" She then pulled the blonde in a tight hug. "Take care of everyone while I'm gone, okay?" I heard my sister whisper to her.
"I will, I promise."
Once the two of them let each other go, Elena addressed us all. "Promise me something, all three of you," she started, grabbing journals from beside her and handing one out to each of us. Orange with a crown on the front to Caroline, white city scape to Bonnie, and pink flowers over to me. "Write it all down, everything that you accomplish in your life, every crush, when you fall in love, when you start a family, every time you fantasize about wanting to kill Damon," she paused as we all chuckled. "Write it down, so that one day when I wake up, I can read all about my best friends' lives and feel like I was there."
"I'm so sorry, Elena," Bonnie said as she grabbed her hands. "Really, I'm so sorry. This isn't your fault."
"Hey. We'll both get everything that we want. We just can't have it at the same time," Elena said. Caroline slowly raised from the bed and disappeared from the room. "Aw, hey. Bonnie Bennett. You have spent your entire life making sacrifices for me. Now it's my turn to do it for you. I just have one more favor to ask."
"Okay," Bonnie said.
I grinned as my sister grabbed a pillow, pulling out a handful of feathers. I wiped my eyes, giggling with the two of them. "Can you do it one last time?" My twin asked sheepishly.
Bonnie smiled through her tears and raised her hand, floating one feather slowly. I gasped in amazement as a couple dozen more surrounded the three of us nearly five years ago. We all enjoyed the moment for a good while and then the two hugged again. Then Bonnie left us alone.
"I'm not ready to say goodbye to you," I said.
Elena smiled softly, scooting closer to me and resting her head on my shoulder. "My big sister," she whispered, taking my hand in hers. "It's time to live for yourself. Embrace your time of individuality. You ever wonder what it's like to not be a twin?"
"I used to," I scoffed. "Not now."
Elena sat up then, wiping her eyes with her free hand. She then took a deep breath. "Seriously, Kenzie. If there was ever a time for you to be the tough badass woman, it's now."
I nodded, "yeah, but it's hard, and I'm sad."
"But you can't be. I meant it, write it down. Document your life. I want to live vicariously through you. I need you to replace me. My son... he needs a mother."
"Your his mother."
"You have my face," she retorted. "That will bring him comfort until he knows any better. He needs his aunt. And I know it's not what anyone planned, it's not ideal for you or me. Or Matt or Stefan. But it's what I want. It's what he needs."
I nodded, "Maverick comes first."
"I don't want to miss raising my baby, but... there's no one I'd want to take care of him besides you. And I know that's asking for a lot. Your plans to travel the world with your husband... would be put on hold—"
"I'll raise Maverick. I'll do it with Matt. Stefan will understand. He had to... Jenna did it for mom. Now it's my turn."
"Full circle," she sniffled.
We spent a few moments going over things Maverick needed or liked for a while. But then we were just hugging. "Just because you're a makeshift mom doesn't mean I don't want you to live a little. Maverick will grow up. Matt is a great dad. There is time for you to just be you. Young and fun with our friends. With Bonnie and Tyler and Jer. You don't have forever with them. And I'll see you again. You and I can start over, living another life together," Elena said.
"I can't wait," I assured her. "I love you, Elena. And Maverick is going to be just fine. I won't let him forget you. And I'll take care of Matt, Damon and Ric. And you know I always have Jer's best interests before anyone else's."
"Take care of yourself and your husband too."
I laughed, "I will. I can't forget my Stefanator."
She cackled then, "I love you, Kenzie Nicole."
"I love you more, Elena Jasmine."
"I'll see you in 60 plus years, huh?"
"I hope like hell Bonnie lives to be over a hundred," I said. "But God I'm going to miss you. We were just getting close again."
"Imagine how close we'll be when you have a century of memories to fill me in on," she joked with a wobbly smile.
We were holding ourselves together but this hurt, like hell. "We will never run out of things to talk about," I added. "You'll ask me how to drive a spaceship and I'll tell you about the time Damon got drunk and did karaoke in the year 2050."
Elena laughed hard, and then she was sobbing. So I started to cry into her shoulder too. We sat on her bed, holding each other until the tears ran dry and we whispered goodbye.
~Picture: Elena in her coffin to rest for a lifetime
This is the end. Finally. Sorry it's taken so long, this was hard to write, trying to find the emotion for Kenzie and Elena who didn't have a close bond over the last few years. On top of the fact, I've been trying to wrap my head around how to do book 7. But I think I have all my main ideas, and the holiday gifts should come early, book 7 will be here soon. Hold please for the update of the release of Kenzie Gilbert: The Possessive Twin 🧡
Any guesses for the future??
Anything you want to happen??
Stenzie together or...?
What about the heretics, friends or enemies?
Steroline over???
Jo and Ric's twins????!
AND WHO IS GONNA READ BOOK 7?!?!?!?!?!