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Vancouver Sleep Clinic - Someone To Stay
"Hear you falling and lonely, cry out
Will you fix me up? Will you show me hope?
The end of the day, I'm helpless
Can you keep me close? Can you love me most?"
HOLDEN WAS SITTING ON THE BENCH STILL IN THE SALVATORE FAMILY CRYPT AS STEFAN AND DAMON WATCHED HIM. "Why did she do that?" Holden asked dully before raising his eyes up at Stefan.
The three brothers were happy as Damon told everything to Stefan - from them being stuck in the prison world with a psychopath named Kai to Holden, being alone for about half a year. But then Holden wanted to leave and see the main reason he wanted to live. Only to find out she erased her memories of him. "She had Alaric to it," Stefan hesitantly answered as Damon closed his eyes in annoyance.
"Well, I can still see her, can't I? Maybe she will remember everything once she sees me," Holden shrugged before standing up. He began to leave the crypt but Stefan stopped him.
"Holden... She thinks you're just a killer. She thinks that you weren't anything but acquaintances," he explained causing Damon to glare at Stefan angrily.
Holden yanked his arm back to himself as he stared at Stefan in hurt and denial. "Then what am I supposed to do?!" he shouted loudly.
"Where is Izzie, Stefan?" Damon questioned curiously as Holden glanced at Damon. A small smile then appeared on his face as Stefan mused with a smile.
"Well... We aren't really close anymore, cause she's angry at me," Stefan answered a little bumped as Damon furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "She's actually living with Alaric ever since you two died."
"Alaric? Since when she's friends with Ric?" Holden asked as Damon smirked widely.
"Never you mind. I have to go somewhere," Damon explained excitedly as he patted Holden's shoulder and began to leave, only to be stopped with Stefan once again.
"Damon..."
"Don't tell me she followed Elena and erased us both?!" Damon exclaimed as Stefan shook his head. Holden let out a breath as he sat back down on the bench.
"I just... I just thought..." Stefan trailed off as Damon stared at him in confusion. "Never mind."
Damon smirked before rushing away as Stefan looked at Holden. "I can't believe you're actually here," Stefan said before he sat down next to Holden. "I'm sorry I didn't do much to save you both."
"We left Bonnie there with Kai just because she wanted me to see Elena once again," Holden said as he stared ahead of him, still appalled to know that his fantasy to be with Elena once again went downhill. "Because I thought that being with the real her again would make me be the old me again. I had no one there."
Stefan frowned as he put his hand on Holden's shoulder. "I'm sorry," was all Stefan could say as Holden glanced up at him in despair.
"Would Elena want to see me even if she doesn't love me?" he asked hopeful that she would.
But the look on Stefan's face said otherwise. Holden shook his head angrily before standing up. "Great. Everything is just so freaking fine, it sucks," he commented as Stefan stood up with an apologetic face. "It's okay, Stefan. It's not your fault she completely decided to erase me from her mind. And I get her, it hurt her. That doesn't mean I'll stop from making her fall for me once again."
Stefan smirked as Holden nodded before leaving the crypt.
THE NEXT DAY HOLDEN WAS WALKING ACROSS THE WHITMORE COLLEGE SINCE MYSTIC FALLS WAS STILL OUT OF REACH. He was looking around for Elena but so far no girl matched her face leaving him annoyed. He was still yet to meet Izzie but from the disappearance of Damon he knew where Izzie was.
Holden stopped walking as he smiled while looking at someone. Caroline stood in front of him before grinning widely with tears in her eyes. She began to run towards him before hugging him tightly. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed loudly as Holden slowly hugged her back. He missed the blonde girl a lot and missed being her friend.
The two pulled away as Caroline chuckled while wiping her tears. "Stefan informed me that Damon and you are back, but I couldn't believe it until I saw it. And here you are!" she bumped his chest.
"Yeah..." Holden trailed off so the two decided to sit down on a bench. Holden looked around all those people before glancing at Caroline's excited face. "Sorry, I'm still getting used to being alive."
Caroline nodded with a smile before a huge frown appeared on her face. "As I can see, you know about Elena... I'm sorry."
"Where is she, Caroline?" Holden questioned her as Caroline sighed. "Is she in her dorm room because if she is, you have to tell me, Caroline."
The blonde was quiet so Holden stood up in annoyance. "She doesn't want to see you now, okay?!" the blonde exclaimed as Holden stopped in tracks before facing her once again.
"I'm not a monster. She'll know when she sees me but only when she does," Holden snapped back when suddenly his phone rang. He looked at the caller id to see that Stefan was calling. "It was really good to see you but I have to go."
Caroline nodded her head as Holden began to walk away. "What is it?" he questioned after answering the call.
"Have you seen Izzie or Damon today?" Stefan asked in worry as Holden furrowed his eyebrows in confusion before entering the dorm rooms of Whitmore. "Because I can't contact either one of them."
Holden rolled his eyes as he began walking up the stairs. "Stefan... They're a couple. Give them a little privacy," he mused dully as Stefan still was quiet.
"I know, but something's not right," he said in worry as Holden stopped in front of Elena's dorm room. He could hear her inside humming to a song which caused him to smile genuinely.
"They're fine. I have to go," Holden said before hanging up the phone.
Elena, who was inside, heard the voice of Holden before she raised her eyes up in shock. Caroline told her Damon and Holden were back but she didn't want to meet any of them. "I know you heard me," Holden spoke from the other side as Elena quickly approached the door. "But still... Hey."
Holden leaned against the door from the outside as Elena stared at it. She was clearly scared and torn of what to do. To face him or not. "I..." she began causing Holden to close his eyes. There it was, her real voice, so soft and beautiful.
"Listen. I'm informed already. But that won't stop me from seeing you," Holden sighed as Elena gulped nervously. "You once told me I am the love of your life. And that it was real."
Elena hesitated to speak because for some odd reason she didn't want to hurt Holden. "They're gone now," she finally said causing Holden to clench his jaw.
"Elena... You know that compulsion is just a cover to hide the truth," he told her seriously so Elena reached for the door knob. "You have no idea how much I've waited to hear the real you."
Elena furrowed her eyebrows. "The real me?"
Holden only shook his head as his hand also reached for the door knob. He could feel her so close, but that stupid door was the only obstacle for him to see her. "Please just open the door," he said quietly. "And everything will fall back to its places.
Holden then jiggled the door knob but it was locked so he smiled to himself sadly. "Just open the door, Elena, come on," he sighed deeply. "Or, please, just step aside because I'm about to kick that door open."
Suddenly, Holden heard the doors' lock click as he looked down at the door. He turned the knob hopefully before he quickly opened the door with a smile. Only to see an empty room.
Elena was gone as he looked around the empty room before noticing the curtains blowing in the breeze of the open window. Holden sighed angrily before punching the door on his way out.
ALARIC ENTERED HIS OFFICE TO FIND HOLDEN STANDING BY THE WINDOW. He was holding a glass with blood on it as he turned back to the history teacher. "Sorry for stealing your stash," he commented before downing the blood. He placed the glass on the table as Ric grinned widely.
"I can't believe you're back," Alaric said as he took one glass of blood too before taking a sip. Holden sat down on the couch in front of Alaric's desk before glancing at him. "Where the hell is Damon?"
"I don't know," Holden answered dully as Alaric leaned against the table in front of Holden curiously.
"So, how the hell are you?"
Holden let out a sarcastic laugh as Alaric cleared his throat, somehow knowing what Holden was about to say. "Thanks for asking. I spent a few months alone, imagining my girlfriend, who was cold to me and made me want to kill myself. Only to find my way back to my real girlfriend... Who apparently got compelled by my best friend to forget that she ever loved me. I am doing perfectly fine as you can see, Ric."
"Holden..."
"No, let me talk," Holden cut the teacher off as Alaric looked at him pleadingly. "I know how she felt, I felt like crap without her too, but seriously? To delete everything that reminded her of me?"
Alaric took another sip before sighing. "She loved you like no one else before and it killed her. You should've seen her. She did this to be strong for Izzie too."
"And yet Izzie was stronger, wasn't she?" Holden snapped before just shaking his head. "I'm sorry. I'm back now, which means I want Elena back."
"Of course. I'll do it as soon as Elena tells me to do it," Alaric answered awkwardly as Holden stood up angrily.
"Ric, she won't even see me!" Holden shouted angrily as Alaric nodded his head. "It's not that I don't want Elena be happy but I want her to be happy with me, just like we were happy before I died."
Holden then looked at Alaric, who didn't even budge which caused Holden to let out a frustrated laugh. "Fine. Sure," he snapped before leaving the office.
When Holden left Ric's office he took his phone out before dialing Damon's number. He pressed the phone to his ear as he walked outside before heading towards Elena's dorm room once again. "Damon Salvatore, leave a message," Damon's voice rang causing Holden to groan.
"Listen, I know it's a true honeymoon with Izzie right now, but Stefan's been worrying about you two and so am I. I want to see Izzie as well, Damon," Holden left his message. "So get your asses here."
Holden then entered Elena's dorm room before sighing. She was still not there so he decided to wander around her room. He approached several framed photos on the dresser and her desk, all of which were of her friends and her, though none of them featured him.
Holden picked up one photo of her and Izzie as Holden stared at Elena's face. He placed that photo down before picking up another in which she was at her graduation. "What a day it was," he mused before turning around to face Jeremy, who was lurking in the doorway. "It's creepy to lurk."
"Well, you're the one stalking my sister," Jeremy commented before he entered the room.
Holden smirked at Jeremy, who approached him. "Why didn't Bonnie come back?" he asked curiously as Holden didn't answer, so Jeremy became upset. "Holden, why didn't she come back?"
Holden had no idea whether Bonnie was even alive. None of them got a chance to heal her because of that idiot Kai. "Because only Damon and I came back."
Jeremy sat down on the bed before looking down. "I paid her cell bill so I could call her phone and hear her say the same six words every day."
"Tell it to Damon, he'll give her a call," Holden mused dully as Jeremy looked at Holden angrily.
"Why? She hated him."
Holden then sighed. "Bonnie wasn't there with us, Jer, because she found peace. She's in a better place now," he told the boy before leaving the dorm room.
He was so done wandering around and not finding his place. He walked outside before his phone rang. He furrowed his eyebrows before seeing that Elena was calling. "Hello?" he answered the call quickly, surprised that she would actually call.
"Okay, so I don't know what I'm doing but I think it's time for us to meet. I can't keep running from you forever," Elena trailed off weirdly as Holden bit his cheek from smiling. "So, can you come to my dorm?"
"Of course," Holden said, trying to sound calm.
Elena let out a breath and it sent shivers down his spine. "Okay."
Holden then came back to her dorm room before noticing that Jeremy was already gone. Holden looked at the mirror before smiling.
After a moment, the door opened as Holden turned around to see Tripp instead of Elena there. Holden furrowed his eyebrows when he saw Tripp holding a gun and then Tripp shot at Holden.
Luckily the bullet only hit the dresser causing the framed photos to fall down. Holden vamp sped towards Tripp before taking the gun into his hands. He smashed the gun across Tripp's face causing the man to fall down. "Ah!" he groaned as Holden stood above him.
"Who are you?" Holden asked as Tripp tried to throw a stake at Holden only for Holden to catch it. "Now I'm angry."
He grabbed Tripp before pushing him against the wall. Suddenly, a series of vervain darts were shot from behind Holden, embedding themselves in his back and instantly weakening him. "Ugh!" Holden groaned before slowly letting go of Tripp, who began to breathe again.
Holden turned back to see two other hunters until he collapsed to the floor. Everything began to go black in his eyes until the last thing he saw was someone's shoes.
HOLDEN OPENED HIS EYES BEFORE ADJUSTING TO A WEIRD LIGHT. "Holden," suddenly Izzie's voice reached his ears so he widened his eyes before looking up.
He saw Izzie chained up to the floor as Damon was also chained up next to her. Izzie had tears in her eyes as she smiled at Holden, finally able to see him. "Izzie..." he smiled before realizing that he was also chained up to the floor.
"Hello, mate," Enzo suddenly spoke before Holden glanced to his right to see Enzo also chained.
Holden looked back at Izzie and Damon. "How the hell did you two get here?" he questioned as he still felt vervain in his body. He had no idea where they were driving to but somehow he had a bad feeling.
"I was with Tripp when Damon showed himself, which was the worst decision ever," Izzie glanced at Damon, who smiled at her softly. Izzie smiled back before she looked back at Holden. "Tripp realized Damon was a vampire so he took us both along with Enzo and you."
Holden moved the chains on his wrists and legs but they were pretty solid. "Why didn't Stefan tell us there was a hunter after us?" Holden snapped as Enzo let out a laugh. Holden then glanced at Izzie. "You're human, why are you chained up here?"
Damon chuckled as his hand reached to take hers. The couple both looked at each other. "She almost killed him when he vervained me," Damon said as Izzie blushed while staring at his face happily. "I didn't even got a chance to kiss you."
"Yes, it's all really lovey dovey but please, people. We are heading towards Mystic Falls, known for it's bridges, quaint small-town charm, and a really big vampire bug-zapper," Enzo snapped as Holden turned to him in annoyance, yet he was worried.
Suddenly, the car came to a stop as the three vampires heard voices. "Who's that?" Enzo questioned in confusion.
Holden listened in before rolling his green eyes. "Ric. He's probably up to something," Holden answered as Damon smirked at the mention of his best friend. "He better come up with something good. He owes me."
"Were you able to see Elena?" Izzie questioned Holden, who only shook his head.
"I was about to when they took me," he answered as he began to break from the chains. Holden groaned as he gritted his teeth, trying to break free when suddenly the van they were in began to drive quickly until it flipped over through the air, sending everyone in the van into the air and then back down.
Holden felt pain in his chest as he looked down at it to see blood appear on it. He looked up in panic to see the same thing happen to Damon as Enzo began spitting and coughing up blood.
"Izzie..." Damon groaned lowly because she was lying on the ground, bleeding from her head from hitting it to harshly.
"Ahh!" Holden screamed as he felt like a human once again. They were probably in Mystic Falls so that's why their vampirism was being taken away. "It freaking hurts!"
"I came back for this?" Damon questioned as he looked up to his brother, who held onto his stomach to stop it from bleeding. Enzo continued coughing up blood as he looked paler than usual.
"Consumption. Wasn't much fun the first time around, either," Enzo managed to say as Holden coughed up some blood too. "She's not fine too."
The brothers both looked at Izzie in horror when suddenly Stefan finally got the doors open. He rushed inside, also bleeding as he saw Izzie lying on the floor. "Get her," Holden snapped so Stefan used the crow bar to break the chains that were attached to the top of the van.
He got everyone loose as Damon kneeled besides Izzie before raising her head up with his hands softly. "Izzie? Wake up!" he told her as Holden helped Enzo stand up.
"You got her?" Holden asked his brothers, who both got her up before taking her out of the vehicle.
"Glad I have you," Enzo muttered sarcastically as the two got out of the vehicle only to fall down onto the ground. "Ah!"
Holden raised his eyes up to see Stefan and Damon struggling to get out of the border as they tried to hold Izzie as tight as possible. "We have to go on," Holden sneered before standing up. "Get up! Come on, get up!"
Enzo was too weak so Holden grabbed him with all of his remaining strength and raised him up while groaning from such a big pain.
Holden looked ahead of him to see that his brothers and Izzie finally crossed into the safety zone while they both coughed, panted and groaned, trying to catch their breaths as their wounds healed. "Hold on, it's close," Holden sneered before pushing Enzo first across the border where Enzo finally breathed in.
Holden was so close to reaching the border and then everything was finally over. He fell to the ground groaning and panting as he stared at the Mystic Falls sign. Too weak to move still as his wounds healed.
Damon then crawled over to Izzie before bitting into his wrist. "Thank god I'm still a vampire," he mused before giving her some blood. He watched the wound on her head heal as he stroked her cheek affectionately.
Stefan stared at the couple as Holden sat up before they all heard a female screaming Alaric's name. They all saw Jo perform CPR on Alaric, who wasn't moving. He was still stuck on the other side of them.
They all watched helplessly, still not recovered to go back and save him. Holden tried standing up but it still hurt so he fell back down.
Damon ripped Izzie's hands free from the chains as he watched Jo work on Alaric, his eyes wide in shock and horror as he still held Izzie in his embrace.
"Stay with me! Come on!" Jo shouted, unwilling to give up. Suddenly, Alaric's head snapped up, his eyes opened as he gasped for air. "Ah!"
From outside the border, Stefan breathed out a sigh of relief as Holden closed his eyes. "So-so-something's wrong," Alaric said as he looked around, clearly shaken and confused.
"Don't move," Jo stroked his face as he looked back at her.
"No, something's wrong. I'm not supposed to be alive," Alaric answered as Holden watched with shocked eyes.
"There's no reason you shouldn't be! I sealed the wound," Jo told him angrily. "We just have to get you to the hospital."
Alaric breathed out heavily as he rested his head back on the grass, unable to believe what just happened.
Izzie suddenly woke with a gasp as she sat up quickly. "Shh, it's okay. It's okay now," Damon nodded his head as her head moved around until she saw Holden standing up.
"Holden!" Izzie stood up, still a little dizzy as she rushed over to him before finally being able to hug him. Holden hugged her back tightly, holding onto her for dear life as Izzie closed her eyes before swaying from side to side.
"I'm back. I'm here now," he told her as he stroked her head. Stefan watched them with a smile as Damon smiled as well. They were finally all back.
IT WAS REALLY LATE AS THE BROTHERS AND IZZIE WERE ALL AT A BAR. The four sat at a table, drinking bourbon as they looked like a mess. "I was close," Holden said dully as everyone looked at him sadly. "So close."
"I'm sorry," Izzie mused as she sat next to Damon across from him and Stefan. Stefan continued glancing at Izzie but it was like she ignored him.
Holden took a swing of bourbon, clearly annoyed. "Everyone's so sorry today. They keep apologizing to me when in reality I don't want to hear any of it," he said before smashing the glass on the table.
Izzie frowned as Damon rolled his eyes. "Listen, I'm wasting my precious time here with you instead of being with Izzie, and you're being annoying," Damon said as Izzie glared at Damon harshly before she reached across the table to take Holden's hand into hers.
"Hey, I know you're not blaming anyone, but maybe that's the problem," Izzie advised as Damon noticed the looks Stefan was giving her. "It was hard for her."
"He knows, Izzie," Damon spoke while still staring at Stefan, who only looked down at his drink away from Izzie. "It was hard for him as well."
"Elena didn't have anything. To her, you were just gone," Stefan explained then as Holden let out a sigh. "And I know you felt the same way, but at least you still held hope that you'd see her once again."
"Ric said she's happy," Holden mused causing Damon to scoff loudly.
"So you're just gonna give up on her?" he asked as Holden glared at him angrily.
Izzie let out a sigh. "You all done being sulky?" she asked angrily as Stefan smiled slightly, which annoyed Damon. "Now go and see the girl, Holden."
"What if she still doesn't remember me?" Holden questioned them as everyone looked at him. "What if I'm gone forever to her?"
"You're not going to find out just sitting there, are you?" Stefan asked so Holden finished his drink with a determined face before he stood up.
"Here goes everything," Damon cheered for Holden who then left the bar. Izzie chuckled as she took Damon's hand. "Okay, miss Izzie... Shall we go and finally have some fun?"
Stefan then stood up as the couple both glanced at him. "You do that. I'm leaving," he mused dully before leaving the bar as well.
"What's with him?" Damon asked suspiciously but Izzie only kissed Damon on the lips passionately. Damon smirked before kissing her back.
ELENA WAS IN HER ROOM, GOING THROUGH THE BOX OF HOLDEN'S THINGS THAT SHE RETRIEVED FROM ALARIC'S OFFICE. She pulled out her diary before seeing a folded picture inside it. She took that photo into her hands before seeing Holden posing for the camera with a smile.
Elena didn't even remember anything about that picture but if she had it then she must have been the one to take it.
Elena then saw Holden's flannel shirt lying in the box. She took it out as suddenly someone knocked on the door. Elena breathed in, pausing for a moment as Holden waited anxiously at the door.
The girl hesitantly walked towards the door, reached for the door knob before slowly opening the door.
After all these months of Holden being gone, the two finally reunited. Holden stared at her calm yet nervous face as their eyes finally met. Holden breathed out as he stared at her in awe.
Now he truly did find peace.
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